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Oh,  you  will  not  harm  little  Mueo  and  myself  ?  "      Page  52 


©ttf  <&Xjov}$  Juries 


UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 


OR 


Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

BY 


EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

AUTHOR  OF  "ON  TO  PEKIN,"  "BETWEEN  BOER  AND  BRITON1 

"OLD  GLORY  SERIES,"  "SHIP  AND  SHORE  series" 

"  BOUND  TO  SUCCEED  SERIES,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
A.   B.    SHUTE 


BOSTON : 

LOTHROP,   LEE   &   SHEPARD   CO. 


Ooptsisht,  1901,  bt  Lee  aot>  Shepabdi 


All  Bights  Reserved. 


Under  MaoAbthuk  in  Luzon. 


NorfaooB  IPrcss 

J.  8.  Gushing  *  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith 

Norwood  Mass.  U-S-A. 


PREFACE 

"  Under  MacAkthue  in  Luzon  "  is  a  complete 
story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  sixth  and  last  volume 
of  the  "  Old  Glory  Series,"  a  line  of  tales  depicting 
adventures  in  our  army  and  navy  during  the  war 
with  Spain  and  the  rebellion  in  the  Philippine 
Islands. 

The  principal  characters  of  these  stories  are  the 
Russell  brothers,  Larry,  Walter,  and  Ben.  In  the 
first  volume  were  related  the  adventures  of  Larry 
while  serving  "  Under  Dewey  at  Manila,"  in  the 
second  Ben  came  forward  as  "  A  Young  Volunteer 
in  Cuba,"  while  in  the  third  Walter  showed  what 
true  American  pluck  could  accomplish  while  "  Fight- 
ing in  Cuban  Waters."  The  scene  then  shifted 
back  to  Manila,  and  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  volumes 
of  the  series  we  followed  both  Larry  and  Ben  while 
serving  "  Under  Otis  in  the  Philippines "  and  dur- 
ing  General  Lawton's   daring   "  Campaign  of   the 

Jungle." 

ill 


IV  PREFACE 

In  the  present  tale  the  reader  is  asked  to  follow 
the  further  fortunes  of  all  the  brothers,  first,  during 
another  campaign  under  General  Lawton  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  and  then  during 
a  hard  and  well-fought  campaign  under  General 
Arthur  MacArthur  in  the  northern  territory  of 
Luzon,  during  which,  by  the  efforts  of  the  general 
named,  acting  in  concert  with  Generals  Lawton  and 
Wheaton,  Aguinaldo  and  his  army  were  driven  far 
into  the  mountain  region  and  all  but  hopelessly 
scattered.  This  was  at  a  time  when  Walter  had 
unexpectedly  become  a  prisoner  of  the  savage  Ne- 
gritos of  northern  Luzon,  and  what  the  young  sailor 
saw  and  heard  will,  it  is  hoped,  prove  of  interest  to 
those  who  wish  to  learn  more  concerning  the  Fili- 
pino view  of  the  present  sad  state  of  affairs  in  the 
islands. 

It  may  be  that  some,  in  reading  the  pages  which 
follow,  will  feel  inclined  to  think  that  Ben  Russell 
was  altogether  too  smart  for  his  age,  and  that  his 
promotion,  first  to  the  rank  of  a  captain  of  volun- 
teers and  lastly  to  that  of  a  major,  was  altogether 
too  rapid.  If  so,  let  them  remember  that  the  very 
general  he  served  under  became,  during  the  Civil 
War,  a  lieutenant  at  seventeen,  and  commanded  a 


PREFACE  V 

leading  fighting  regiment  at  nineteen  years  of  age. 
Young  America  is  full  of  pluck  and  daring,  and 
never  comes  to  the  front  more  conspicuously  than 
when  fighting  for  the  honor  of  Old  Glory. 

In  bringing  this  Series  to  a  close  the  author  can- 
not refrain  from  thanking  the  many  critics  who 
have  commended  his  former  works.  They  have 
been  more  than  kind,  and  for  this  he  is  profoundly 
grateful.  He  has  tried  to  make  the  present  volume 
as  interesting  as  possible,  and  trusts  that  the  boys 
and  young  men  for  whom  it  was  written  will  find 
its  perusal  full  of  combined  pleasure  and  profit. 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER. 

Newark,  N.  J., 
Washington's  Birthday,  1901. 


CONTENTS 


I.  Something  about  the  Russell  Boys 

II.  Lieutenant  Gilmoke  has  a  Fall 

III.  Caught  by  Sharpshooters  . 

IV.  A  Meeting  in  a  Nipa  Hut  . 
V.  The  Taking  of  Cainta  and  Taytay 

VI.  A  Scene  in  a  Monastery     . 

VII.  A  Guerilla  brought  to  Terms 

VIII.  Walter  and  Si  Doring 

IX.  The  End  of  Si's  Adventure 

X.  A  Run  Ashore,  and  what  followed 

XL  Followed  by  Negritos  . 

XII.  The  Battle  on  the  Beach. 

XTIT.  Hunting  up  a  Supper    . 

XIV.  A  Journey  over  the  Sierra  Madre 

XV.  The  Advance  upon  Las  Pinas    . 

XVI.  Battling  along  the  Zapote  River 

XVH.  Job  Dowling  sends  a  Letter 

XVIH.  Capturing  Adoz,  the  Guerilla 

XIX.  The  Meeting  at  the  Mountain  Pass 


1 
11 

21 

31 

41 

51 

61 

74 

84 

94 

104 

113 

123 

134 

144 

154 

165 

175 

188 


Vlll  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

XX.    Capture  and  Escape  of  the  "  Yorktown  " 

Men 197 

XXL     Walter's  Wound 207 

XXII.     A  Friend  in  Need 216 

XXIII.  General  MacArthur's  Advance        .        .  223 

XXIV.  In  which  Magalang  is  taken     .        .        .  236 
XXY.     A  Friar  tells  his  Story     ....  246 

XXVI.     Chasing  Aguinaldo  into  the  Mountains  256 
XXVII.     Ben's  Hunt  for  Walter      .        .        .        .266 
XXVIII.     In  which  Gilbert  and  Major  Morris  de- 
part for  China 276 

XXIX.     A  Stirring  Adventure  in  Manila     .        .  286 
XXX.     Last  Battle  with  the  Insurgents  —  Con- 
clusion    296 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


" ' You  will  not  harm  little  Muro  and  myself? ' "       Frontispiece 

PAGE 

.      27 


"  He  ranged  up  beside  the  fellow  with  drawn  pistol ' 

"« Drop  that  pistol ! '" 

"  He  made  out  the  dim  forms  of  several  men  "  . 
"  •  Forward ! '  shouted  Ben  to  his  command  " 
"  He  begged  them  not  to  murder  him  " 
" '  Gangway  for  General  MacArthur ! '  was  the  cry 
" '  I  won't  waste  words  with  you.     Stand  aside.' " 


61 

109 
153 
173 
233 

289 


IX 


UNDEK  MacAKTHUK  IN  LUZON 

CHAPTER  I 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE   RUSSELL  BOYS 

"Captain  Russell,  if  I  know  anything  about 
it,  this  is  dangerous  ground  upon  which  we  are 
treading." 

"I  fully  agree  with  you,  Lieutenant  Gilmore. 
But  to  capture  Aguinaldo,  or  any  of  his  staff,  is 
no  easy  task,  and  we  have  got  to  take  some  risks." 

"  I  don't  believe  we  shall  ever  capture  Aguinaldo, 
captain.  Our  boys  have  tried  it  a  hundred  times, 
and  he's  like  the  flea  in  the  old  story,  —  when  you 
put  your  hand  on  him  he  wasn't  there." 

"Well,  if  we  can't  capture  him,  we'll  capture 
all  we  can  of  his  staff  and  his  so-called  cabinet, 
and  likewise  his  soldiers,  and  then  he'll  be  very 
much  like  a  king  without  a  crown  or  a  kingdom, 
lieutenant." 

1 


2  UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

"I  don't  believe  in  pushing  too  far  into  the 
mountains  after  these  fellows,"  went  on  Lieutenant 
Gilmore,  earnestly.  "  Our  force  isn't  large  enough 
for  the  work." 

"Are  you  growing  afraid?" 

"Not  exactly,  but  I  don't  want  to  see  the  first 
battalion,  and  especially  Company  D,  pounced  upon 
and  wiped  out  by  Filipino  sharpshooters.  Major 
Morris  told  me  he  had  heard  the  rebels  had  a  fine 
body  of  good  shots  in  this  vicinity  —  got  the  news 
direct  from  General  Lawton." 

"Doubtless  Aguinaldo  believes  in  keeping  the 
very  best  of  his  soldiers  close  by  him.  If  he  would 
only  listen  to  reason  and  throw  down  his  arms  — " 
Captain  Ben  Russell  broke  off  short  and  came  to 
a  sudden  halt.     "What's  that?" 

"What's  what?" 

"  Didn't  you  see  that  movement  among  the  bushes 
on  the  right  of  the  trail?  It  looked  —  there  it 
goes  again.     Get  behind  the  trees,  quick!" 

As  he  spoke  Captain  Russell  dropped  down,  drag- 
ging his  fellow-officer  with  him,  and  then  both 
crawled  to  the  shelter  of  the  nearest  trees  lining 
the  road  upon  which  they  had  been  travelling. 
The  movement  came  none  too  soon  j  for  while  they 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  RUSSELL  BOYS  3 

were  yet  seeking  shelter  a  report  rang  out  on  the 
misty  morning  air,  and  a  bullet  clipped  through  the 
brushwood  close  beside  them. 

"  Wasn't  that  a  close  shave  ?  "  gasped  Lieutenant 
Gilmore,  when  he  felt  safe  to  speak.  "What  did 
I  tell  you,  captain  ?  " 

Captain  Ben  Russell  did  not  reply  immediately, 
for  the  reason  that  his  whole  attention  was  directed 
to  the  turn  in  the  road  from  whence  the  shot  had 
proceeded.  He  half  expected  more  shots  to  follow, 
but  in  this  he  was  disappointed. 

"  I  believe  I  saw  the  glint  of  that  rascal's  rifle 
barrel,"  he  observed  slowly.  "But  I  can't  locate 
the  exact  spot  now." 

"  What  had  we  best  do  —  fall  back  and  report  ?  " 

"That  depends.  I  should  like  to  know  if  that 
fellow  is  alone." 

"It's  not  likely  —  they  always  travel  in  batches 
of  half  a  dozen  or  more — you  know  that  as  well 
as  1. 

"  Our  command  could  easily  round  up  half  a 
dozen."  The  young  captain  of  Company  D  paused 
in  thought.  "  I  have  half  a  mind  to  scout  around  a 
little  and  size  up  the  situation  before  we  go  back." 

"  But  the  danger  —  " 


4  UNDER  MacARTHUR,   IN"  LUZON 

"You  can  remain  behind,  lieutenant,  if  you 
wish." 

"No;  if  you  go  ahead,  I'll  go  too.  But  we 
have  got  to  be  careful.      What  do   you   propose?" 

"Do  you  see  that  line  of  brushwood  on  our  left, 
running  up  among  the  rocks?"        / 

"Yes." 

"I  propose  we  crawl  along  the  bushes  on  the 
other  side  until  we  get  to  the  first  of  the  rocks. 
Then,  if  we  don't  see  anything,  we  can  leap  over 
the  rocks  and  continue  our  scouting  by  coming  up 
behind  the  spot  from  which  the  shot  was  sent." 

"All  right,  captain." 

"Don't  make  any  noise,  and  don't  speak  unless 
it  is  absolutely  necessary,"  concluded  Captain  Rus- 
sell, and  then  the  pair  moved  off  as  silently  as 
shadows  through  the  semi-gloom  of  the  wet  June 
morning. 

It  was  a  dangerous  task  which  had  been  under- 
taken, and  Captain  Ben  Russell  of  Company  D, 
Colonel  Darcy's  regiment  of  volunteers,  stationed 
in  the  island  of  Luzon,  was  well  aware  of  that 
fact.  The  Filipino  insurgents  were  growing  more 
desperate  every  day,  and  their  sharpshooters  were 
taking  greater  risks  than   ever,   in  their  endeavors 


SOMETHING   ABOUT  THE   RUSSELL  BOYS  5 

to  bring  down  the  Americanos  at  long  range,  espe- 
cially the  officers. 

It  was  the  middle  of  the  year  1899,  and  Captain 
Ben  Russell's  command  had  returned  to  Manila, 
accompanied  by  a  number  of  their  wounded,  after 
taking  active  part  in  an  expedition  under  General 
Lawton  to  San  Isidro,  a  perilous  advance  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  through  a  hostile  country, 
which  lasted  twenty  days  and  brought  on  twenty- 
two  battles.  How  gallantly  the  young  captain  con- 
ducted himself  through  this  expedition,  and  through 
others,  has  already  been  related  in  previous  vol- 
umes of  this  series  entitled  respectively,  "Under 
Otis  in  the  Philippines "  and  "  The  Campaign  of 
the  Jungle." 

The  captain  was  one  of  three  brothers,  he  being 
the  eldest,  with  Walter  coming  next,  and  light- 
hearted  Larry  the  youngest.  The  home  of  the 
three  was  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  they  lived 
with  their  uncle,  Job  Dowling,  who  was  now  nomi- 
nally their  guardian.  At  one  time  Job  Dowling  had 
been  very  dictatorial  and  mean,  and  this  had  caused 
the  three  brothers  to  run  away  from  home,  Ben 
trying  his  fortunes  in  New  York  City,  Walter  mak- 
ing his  way  to  Boston,  and  Larry  drifting  to  San 


6  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Francisco.  At  San  Francisco  Larry  had  shipped  as 
a  foremast  hand,  first  for  Honolulu  and  then  for 
Hong  Kong,  and  on  this  latter  voyage  he  had  been 
wrecked  with  his  intimate  Yankee  friend,  Luke 
Striker,  only  to  be  picked  up  later  by  the  Asiatic 
Squadron  under  Commodore  (later  Admiral)  Dewey, 
just  as  the  latter  was  sailing  for  the  Philippines  to 
engage  the  Spanish  fleet  under  Admiral  Montojo. 
How  the  greatest  naval  battle  of  modern  times  was 
successfully  fought  by  Uncle  Sam's  jackies,  and 
what  part  Larry  and  his  friend  Luke  played  in  the 
drama,  will  be  found  set  down  in  all  its  glorious 
details  in  "Under  Dewey  at  Manila."  After  this 
battle  Larry  returned  home,  thinking  the  war  in 
Philippine  waters  at  an  end,  but  when  fresh  troubles 
came  in  the  shape  of  the  Filipino  rebellion  he 
hastened  to  rejoin  his  ship  the  Olympia,  and,  later 
on,  left  that  vessel  to  join  the  volunteer  army, 
along  with  Luke  Striker.  But  both  had  been 
wounded,  and  they  were  among  those  taken  to  the 
hospital  at  Manila. 

Walter  Russell  was  not  naturally  a  sailor  like 
Larry,  but  in  Boston  he  had  fallen  in  with  a  naval 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  this  old  gunner  had 
so  fired  the  youth's  patriotic  ambition  that  Walter 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE   RUSSELL  BOYS  7 

had  enlisted  in  the  navy  at  the  Charlestown  Navy 
Yard,  to  serve,  later  on,  under  Commodore  Schley 
on  the  Brooklyn,  at  the  destruction  of  Admiral 
Cervera's  fleet  in  Santiago  harbor,  the  particulars 
of  which  I  have  given  in  "  Fighting  in  Cuban 
Waters."  After  this  thrilling  contest  Walter  had 
returned  home  to  rejoin  his  brothers,  and  had  aided 
them  in  bringing  Job  Dowling  "  to  terms,"  as  the 
three  expressed  it.  Later  still  Walter  had  rejoined 
his  ship  for  a  cruise  to  Jamaica  and  other  points, 
but  this  was  now  over,  and  at  present  he  was  on 
his  way  to  the  Philippines,  with  his  chum,  Si  Dor- 
ing,  to  join  one  of  the  ships  stationed  at  Luzon, 
His  remarkable  cruise,  with  its  queer  ending,  will 
be  related  in  some  of  the  chapters  which  follow. 

It  can  truly  be  said  that  Ben  Russell  was  a 
born  soldier.  Immediately  upon  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war  he  had  joined  the  volunteers,  and  after 
being  in  camp  on  Long  Island  and  at  Tampa, 
Florida,  he  had  been  transported  to  Cuba,  there 
to  participate  in  the  various  engagements  leading 
up  to  that  of  San  Juan  Hill,  and  to  the  downfall 
of  Santiago.  With  him  went  his  warm-hearted 
Southern  chum,  Gilbert  Pennington,  and  the  vari- 
ous adventures  of  the  pair  are  set   forth  in   detail 


8  UNDER   MacARTHTJE,   IN  LUZON 

in  "A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba."  Gilbert  be- 
longed to  Roosevelt's  Rough  Riders,  but  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  war  with  Spain,  he  left  that 
organization  now  so  famous  in  history  and  reen- 
listed  with  Ben  for  service  in  the  island  of  Luzon. 
Gilbert  had  become  first  lieutenant  of  Company  B 
of  Colonel  Darcy's  regiment,  and  had  also  served 
under  General  Lawton.  While  advancing  to  answer 
a  flag  of  truce  shown  by  the  Filipinos  some  treach- 
erous rebel  had  shot  him  in  the  shoulder,  inflict- 
ing a  painful  although  not  a  dangerous  wound; 
and  he  was  now  in  the  hospital  with  Larry, 
although  he  hoped  to  be  out  again  in  a  few 
days. 

Although  Ben  Russell  had  come  to  the  Philip- 
pines solely  to  do  his  duty  as  a  soldier,  his  adven- 
tures had  not  all  been  of  a  warlike  nature.  The 
Russell  fortune,  amounting  to  between  fifteen  thou- 
sand and  twenty  thousand  dollars,  had  been  in- 
vested by  Job  Dowling  in  the  Hearthstone  Saving 
Institution  of  Buffalo,  of  which  one  Braxton  Bogg 
had  been  cashier.  This  Bogg  had  absconded,  tak- 
ing with  him  over  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
belonging  to  the  bank,  which  action  practically 
wrecked   the   institution.      By  accident   Ben    had 


SOMETHING   ABOUT  THE   RUSSELL  BOYS  9 

fallen  in  with  Braxton  Bogg  at  Manila,  and  after 
missing  his  man  several  times,  had  succeeded  in 
having  him  arrested.  "When  in  prison  Bogg  had 
confessed  that  he  had  turned  the  stolen  funds 
over  to  a  Spaniard  named  Benedicto  Lupez,  who 
had  recently  joined  the  insurgent  army.  It  was 
no  light  task  to  follow  up  this  Lupez,  but  it  was 
finally  accomplished  at  the  fall  of  San  Isidro,  and 
from  him  was  taken  a  leather  bag  containing  fifty 
thousand  dollars  in  gold.  At  first  Lupez  refused 
to  talk,  but  at  last  confessed  that  just  previous  to 
the  fall  of  the  city  he  had  divided  the  booty  with 
his  brother  Jose\  who  had  immediately  left  for 
parts  unknown.  It  was  afterward  learned  by  Ben 
that  this  Jose*  Lupez  was  a  very  eccentric  old 
Spaniard,  and  that  he  had  paid  Aguinaldo  five 
thousand  dollars  for  a  general's  commission  in  the 
Filipino  army.  What  he  had  done  with  the  re- 
maining forty-five  thousand  dollars  was  known 
only  to  the  newly  titled  General  Lupez  himself. 

"  We  ought  to  try  to  get  hold  of  that  General 
Lupez,"  Larry  was  wont  to  say,  as  he  lay  sick  in 
the  hospital  at  Manila.  "  Unless  the  money  is 
recovered,  the  Hearthstone  Saving  Institution  won't 
be  able  to  pay  more  than  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar, 


10  TJNDEB  MxcAETHUR   IN  LUZON 

and  that  will  mean  a  loss   to  us  of  eight  or  ten 
thousand  dollars." 

"I'll  certainly  do  what  I  can,"  had  been  Ben 
Russell's  reply.  "  But  you  know  how  the  rebels 
are  scattered  now,  and  this  Lupez  will  probably 
take  warning  by  his  brother's  fate  and  give  us  a 
wide  berth."  Nevertheless,  although  he  thought 
the  chances  of  meeting  this  rascal  slim,  the  young 
captain  was  on  the  constant  lookout  for  him,  and 
ready  to  bring  him  in,  dead  or  alive,  at  the  first 
opportunity  that  offered. 


CHAPTER  II 

LIEUTENANT  GILMORE  HAS  A  FALL 

As  said  before,  the  morning  was  a  misty  one,  and 
there  was  every  indication  that  a  heavy  downfall  of 
rain  was  not  far  distant.  The  rainy  season  of  the 
islands  was  at  hand,  and  already  the  streams  were 
much  swollen  and  the  trails  "  soppy  "  with  the  down- 
fall of  several  days  past.  The  bushes  hung  low  with 
pearls  of  dew,  and  the  young  captain  and  his  com- 
panion had  not  crawled  far  before  they  found  their 
outer  garments  soaked  with  moisture.  But  to  this 
they  paid  scant  attention,  for  both  had  been  wet 
many  times  before  and  their  various  campaigns  had 
thoroughly  toughened  them. 

On  returning  to  Manila  the  members  of  Colonel 

Darcy's  regiment  had  expected  to  remain  there  for 

some  time.     But  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours   the 

first  battalion,  under  the  command  of  Ben  Russell's 

old  friend,  Major  Morris,  had  been  again  ordered  to 

the  front,  this  time  in  the  direction  of  the  waterworks 

11 


12  UNDER  MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

on  the  east  of  the  city.  Only  a  few  months  before, 
General  Lawton  had  marched  as  far  east  as  Santa 
Cruz  on  the  Laguna  de  Bay  and  scattered  the  insur- 
gents in  all  directions ;  but  there  had  not  been  enough 
American  troops  at  hand  to  garrison  the  towns  taken, 
and  now  the  rebels  were  coming  back  in  greater 
numbers  than  ever,  so  that  they  threatened  not  alone 
the  city's  waterworks,  but  the  very  outskirts  of  Manila 
itself.  The  rebels  in  this  territory  were  now  under 
General  Pio  del  Pilar,  one  of  the  shrewdest  of  Agui- 
naldo's  followers  and  one  who  was  as  brave  as  any  in 
the  rebel  ranks. 

The  advance  of  the  first  battalion  had  been  ordered 
for  four  o'clock  that  morning,  and  by  five  the  four 
companies  found  themselves  about  half  a  mile  beyond 
the  regular  American  outposts  which  General  Otis 
had  established.  More  troops  were  following,  and 
presently  Major  Morris  had  called  a  halt  on  the  road 
at  a  point  where  several  trails  led  up  from  the  lake. 
Then  the  major  had  come  to  Ben  and  asked  him  to 
go  forward  and  reconnoitre,  and  the  young  captain 
had  done  so,  taking  his  lieutenant  with  him,  upon 
Gilmore's  earnest  request.  Gilmore  had  recently 
been  appointed  first  lieutenant,  and  was  anxious  to 
distinguish  himself,  although  equally  anxious,  as  can 


LIEUTENANT  GILMORE   HAS   A  PALL  13 

be  surmised  from  his  conversation,  to  keep  himself 
from  being  shot. 

Without  a  word,  and  with  as  little  noise  as  possible, 
the  young  captain  and  his  companion  continued  to 
crawl  through  the  bushes  until  the  rocks  Ben  had 
mentioned  loomed  up  before  them.  Their  ears  were 
on  the  alert,  but  not  a  sound  reached  them. 

Looking  toward  the  rocks,  Ben  made  out  a  narrow 
opening  and  pointed  thither  with  his  hand.  Both 
approached  it  with  caution,  each  with  his  pistol 
cocked  and  held  out  for  instant  use.  But,  so  far 
as  they  could  see,  there  was  no  enemy  near  the  open- 
ing, and  they  passed  through  without  molestation. 
Beyond  the  rocks  was  more  brushwood,  leading  to  a 
typical  Philippine  jungle. 

The  young  captain  had  managed  to  retain  his  cool- 
ness, but  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  his  lieutenant 
was  growing  more  uneasy  every  minute.  The  silence 
was  oppressive,  if  not  suggestive,  and  Gilmore  drew 
a  long  breath. 

"Do  you  really  think  it's  advisable  to  go  ahead, 
captain?"  he  could  not  help  but  whisper. 

"  As  I  said  before,  you  can  go  back  if  you  wish," 
was  the  low  answer.  "  I  am  going  ahead  and  find 
out  what  I  can  for  the  major." 


14  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN"  LUZON 

"  But  those  rascals  may  be  surrounding  us  on  the 
quiet." 

"  Possibly,  but,  as  I  said  before,  we  must  take  some 
risks.  War  isn't  all  fun  and  glory,  and  you  ought  to 
know  it  by  this  time." 

"  Do  you  see  anything  at  all  suspicious  ?  " 

"  I  do  not." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  has  become  of  that  sharp- 
shooter?" 

"I  hardly  think  he  was  a  sharpshooter,  his  aim 
was  so  bad.  More  than  likely  he  was  some  common 
soldier,  who  took  to  his  heels  as  soon  as  he  pulled 
trigger." 

At  these  words  the  lieutenant  breathed  a  bit  easier, 
and  the  forward  movement  of  the  pair  continued. 
Crossing  a  small  stream,  they  gained  the  edge  of  the 
jungle  and  then  moved  in  a  semicircle  to  the  left. 
A  hundred  feet  were  thus  covered  when  Gilmore 
suddenly  clutched  Ben's  arm. 

"  Stop !  I  saw  somebody  moving  along  the  trees ! " 
he  whispered  excitedly. 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Over  yonder."  And  the  lieutenant  pointed  with 
his  pistol. 

"Was  it  a  rebel?" 


LIEUTENANT   GILMORE  HAS   A   FALL  15 

"  I  couldn't  make  out  exactly,  it's  so  dark.  But  it 
was  a  man,  and  he  had  either  a  gun  or  a  long  club  in 
his  hands." 

"  Which  way  was  he  moving  ?  " 

"  The  same  way  that  we  are." 

No  more  was  said,  but  both  dropped  down,  so  that 
the  bush  growing  under  the  tall  trees  might  conceal 
them.  It  was  dark  in  the  jungle,  but  as  they  were 
nearest  to  the  light,  the  young  captain  felt  that  so 
far  as  seeing  was  concerned,  the  enemy  had  the 
advantage  of  them. 

More  rocks  had  to  be  crossed,  and  Gilmore  was 
stepping  on  these  when  one  foot  slipped  and  he  came 
down  heavily  on  his  back.  He  uttered  a  sharp  cry  of 
pain,  then  rolled  over  on  his  side  and  slid  into  some 
tall  grass  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks. 

"  Are  you  much  hurt  ?  "  demanded  Ben,  anxiously. 

"  Oh,  my  back ! "  was  the  answer,  with  a  long- 
drawn  groan.  "  I  struck  my  spine  right  on  a  sharp 
edge." 

"  Can  you  walk  ?  " 

"I  —  I'm  afraid  not,  captain.  What  a  fool  I  was 
to  let  myself  slip !  I  wish  we  were  out  of  this ! " 
And  Gilmore  gave  another  groan. 

"  Try  standing  up,"  whispered  the  young  captain, 


16  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

sympathetically,  and  took  hold  of  his  companion's 
hand  to  assist  him.  Gilmore  did  try,  but  his  pain 
was  evidently  intense,  for  with  a  shiver  from  head 
to  foot  he  sank  down  again. 

"I  —  can't  make  it,  captain!  Oh,  what  shall  we 
do  now?"  and  the  speaker's  face  grew  white. 

"  "We'll  do  the  best  we  can,"  returned  Ben,  trying 
to  be  cheerful,  although  he  realized  the  gravity  of 
the  situation.  It  was  hard  enough  for  a  man  to  take 
care  of  himself,  let  alone  taking  care  of  an  injured 
comrade. 

While  speaking  Ben  had  his  eyes  trained  on  the 
jungle  behind  him,  and  now,  at  a  great  distance,  he 
saw  a  Filipino  soldier  sneaking  along  under  the 
trees.  The  soldier  was  followed  by  three  others,  and 
the  four  disappeared  almost  as  swiftly  as  they  had 
appeared. 

"  You  saw  something  ?  "  queried  Gilmore,  watch- 
ing Ben's  face  closely. 

"Yes,  four  rebels,  moving  to  the  left." 

"  And  armed  ?  " 

"  Yes.  They  —  there  go  some  more !  Six,  seven, 
eight,  nine ! " 

"It's  just  as  I  guessed  —  the  jungle  is  full  of 
them.     Captain,  we'll  never  get  back  alive !  " 


LIEUTENANT   GILMORE   HAS   A   FALL  17 

"  Oh,  don't  give  up  yet,  Gilmore." 

"  But  I  can't  walk.    What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  I'll  carry  you." 

The  lieutenant  shook  his  head  slowly.  Then  he 
essayed  again  to  rise,  only  to  fall  back  once  more 
with  a  cry  of  pain. 

Ben  gazed  around  them,  and  at  a  short  distance 
made  out  a  hollow  in  the  brushwood.  "  Come,  you 
can  hide  there  for  the  present,"  he  said,  "  while  I 
move  around  and  try  to  find  some  safe  way  of  get- 
ting back  with  you."  Going  ahead  and  leaving  his 
companion  to  his  fate  was,  to  him,  out  of  the 
question. 

With  as  much  care  as  a  mother  would  use  in 
handling  her  babe,  the  young  captain  bent  over  his 
lieutenant  and  raised  him  up.  The  motion  gave 
Gilmore  more  pain,  and  the  beads  of  perspiration 
stood  out  on  the  fellow's  forehead.  "It's  awful! 
Oh ! "  he  gasped.  And  he  continued  to  groan  as 
Ben  advanced  to  the  hollow. 

"Now  keep  as  quiet  as  you  can,"  said  Ben,  as  he 
laid  the  hurt  one  on  the  grass.  "  I  am  pretty  sure 
we  can  get  back  all  right  if  we  watch  our  chances. 
It's  going  to  rain,  and  a  heavy  shower  will  help  us  a 
good  deal." 


18  UNDER   MacAKTHTJR  IN  LUZON 

"  Don't  —  don't  leave  me,  captain ! " 

"  I  won't  go  far.     I  just  want  to  reconnoitre  a  bit." 

Ben  felt  that  lie  had  now  a  double  responsibility 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  he  did  not  leave  the  brush- 
wood until  he  was  certain  none  of  the  enemy  were 
close  at  hand.  Then,  with  pistol  still  drawn,  he 
advanced  toward  the  rocks  over  which  they  had 
made  their  way  but  a  short  while  before. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  rocks  was  a  clump  of 
three  trees,  with  wide-spreading  branches,  some  of 
which  had  bent  down  and  reentered  the  ground  at  a 
distance  of  several  yards  from  the  trunks.  The  trees 
were  thickly  interlaced  with  tropical  vines,  forming 
an  ideal  hiding-place  for  man  or  beast. 

As  the  young  captain  stood  near  the  rocks,  he 
detected  a  movement  in  one  of  the  trees.  Then  a 
low  voice  spoke  up,  in  the  Tagalog  dialect. 

"Do  you  see  anything  of  the  Americanos,  now, 
Bambo?" 

"lean  see  nothing— the  mist  is  so  thick,"  was 
the  growling  answer,  in  the  same  tongue. 

"  I  feel  sure  the  unclean  ones  came  this  way." 

"  Then  where  are  they,  Riva?" 

"That  we  must  find  out.  I  will  descend,  while 
you  can  remain  here  on  guard." 


LIEUTENANT   GILMORE   HAS  A  PALL  19 

"  As  you  will,"  grumbled  he  called  Bambo.  "  But 
take  heed  that  the  unclean  ones  do  not  shoot  you  in 
the  back." 

The  talking  came  to  an  end,  and  presently  Ben 
saw  the  native  named  Riva  letting  himself  down  to 
the  ground  by  means  of  the  rope-like  vines.  He 
had  a  rifle  slung  over  his  shoulder  and  looked 
exactly  what  he  was,  a  Filipino  sharpshooter. 

The  young  captain  during  his  campaigns  in  Luzon 
had  picked  up  a  smattering  of  the  Tagalog  tongue, 
and  while  he  did  not  comprehend  all  that  was  said, 
he  understood  enough  to  realize  that  the  pair  in  the 
tree  had  been  on  guard  and  that  they  had  seen  both 
himself  and  Gilmore.  Neither  could  be  the  man 
who  had  fired  at  them  from  the  brush,  and  why  they 
had  not  tried  to  bring  down  the  Americans  on  sight 
was  a  mystery. 

"  They  must  be  wanting  to  capture  us  alive,'' 
thought  the  young  captain.  "  Perhaps  their  general 
is  hungry  for  military  imformation.  Well,  they 
shan't  get  anything  out  of  me,  dead  or  alive." 

It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter  for  the  young 
officer  to  have  killed  the  Tagal  on  the  spot,  but  Ben 
was  averse  to  taking  the  life  of  even  an  enemy  in 
cold  blood;  and  besides,  he  was  afraid  that  a  shot 


20  UNDER   MacAETHUK   IN  LUZON 

might  cause  a  general  alarm,  to  his  own  disadvan- 
tage and  that  of  his  helpless  companion.  He  re- 
solved to  await  developments,  and  with  this  end  in 
view,  crouched  down  behind  the  rocks  out  of  sight. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait ;  for  in  a  few  minutes  the 
Tagal  came  over  the  rocks  slowly,  gazing  sharply  to 
the  right  and  the  left  and  then  ahead.  Passing  Ben, 
he  kept  straight  on,  moving  in  the  direction  where 
Lieutenant  Gilmore  lay  concealed. 


CHAPTER  III 

CAUGHT   BY   SHAEPSHOOTEES 

"He'll  stumble  on  the  lieutenant  —  he  can't 
help  it ! " 

Such  was  the  thought  which  surged  through  Ben 
Russell's  mind  as  he  saw  the  rebel  sharpshooter 
move  swiftly  and  silently  in  the  direction  of  the 
hollow  in  the  brush. 

Exactly  what  to  do  he  did  not  know,  yet  instinc- 
tively he  followed  the  Tagal,  keeping  the  sharp- 
shooter covered  with  his  revolver.  He  felt  that 
a  struggle  was  at  hand  and  nerved  himself  to 
meet  it. 

The  hollow  was  almost  gained  when  the  sharp- 
shooter came  to  a  sudden  pause,  with  his  eyes  bent 
to  the  ground.  He  had  discovered  Ben's  footprints 
in  the  wet  grass,  and  was  wondering  if  they  were 
those  of  friend  or  foe. 

Fearing  the  fellow  would  look  around,  the  young 

captain  wisely  withdrew  to  the  shelter  of  a  near-by 

tree.     A  moment  later  the  sharpshooter  turned  back 

21 


22  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

and  began  to  follow  the  footprints  he  had  discovered. 
He  passed  within  ten  paces  of  Ben,  whose  heart 
almost  stopped  beating  for  the  moment,  and  then 
moved  on  toward  the  rocks. 

"  He's  on  my  trail,  and  he'll  soon  catch  up  to  me," 
reasoned  the  young  officer.  Then  he  thought  of  an 
old  trick,  frequently  used  by  the  Indians  and  the 
hunters  of  the  West,  as  well  as  by  certain  wild 
animals,  and  walked  in  a  semicircle  toward  the  trail 
and  overlapped  it  for  a  dozen  steps.  This  done,  he 
leaped  to  a  near-by  rock,  and  from  this  to  another 
rock,  and  then  into  a  tiny  stream  oi  water,  thus 
breaking  the  trail. 

Still  the  young  officer  was  not  satisfied,  and  reach- 
ing some  more  brushwood,  he  waited  impatiently  to 
see  what  the  sharpshooter  would  do  next.  It  had 
now  begun  to  rain,  but  the  downpour  was  not  as 
heavy  as  he  had  expected. 

Ten  minutes  passed,  and  to  the  young  captain  the 
time  seemed  an  age.  He  knew  Gilmore  would  be- 
come alarmed  over  his  absence,  and  was  on  the  point 
of  returning  to  the  hollow,  when  he  saw  the  Tagal 
again,  now  following  the  trail  back  from  the  rocks. 

The  sharpshooter  reached  the  point  where  the  trail 
overlapped  itself,  and  moved  on  for  a  hundred  feet 


CAUGHT  BY   SHARPSHOOTERS  23 

further.  Then  he  halted  in  perplexity  and  scratched 
his  head.  Ben  watched  every  movement  as  a  cat 
watches  a  mouse. 

The  sharpshooter  had  been  fooled  and  he  knew  it, 
and  at  last  he  retraced  his  steps  to  where  the  trail 
overlapped  itself.  Then  he  hunted  for  the  back  trail, 
leading  to  the  hollow,  and  finding  it,  passed  on,  with 
his  rifle  clutched  tightly  in  both  hands  and  his  eyes 
peering  ahead  like  those  of  a  hawk. 

"Captain,  is  that  you?"  It  was  Gilmore  who 
spoke,  not  loudly,  but  still  strong  enough  to  be  heard 
by  the  sharpshooter,  who  instantly  came  to  a  halt. 

To  have  spoken  would  have  been  to  expose  him- 
self, so  Ben  did  not  answer.  Instead,  he  crossed  the 
brushwood  and  came  up  directly  behind  the  Tagal, 
who  had  his  rifle  up  and  pointed  at  the  direction 
from  which  the  voice  had  proceeded. 

"  I  say,  is  that  you,  captain  ?  "  went  on  the  injured 
man.  His  disability  had  made  him  more  fearful  than 
ever.  He,  too,  had  his  weapon  up,  but  his  hand 
shook  so  it  was  doubtful  if  he  would  have  been  able 
to  hit  the  object  of  his  aim. 

Still  Ben  did  not  answer,  but  came  as  close  as  pos- 
sible to  the  sharpshooter,  who  now  advanced  several 
steps.     Suddenly  the  Tagal  caught  sight  of  Gilmore 


24  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

and  took  aim  at  the  man.  But  before  he  could  dis- 
charge the  weapon,  Ben  reached  under  his  arm  and 
snatched  it  from  his  grasp. 

"  Bah  !  Americano  !  "  ejaculated  the  sharpshooter, 
as  he  swung  around  and  faced  the  young  captain. 
Then  he  leaped  forward  to  regain  his  rifle,  but  Ben 
struck  him  over  the  head  with  the  stock,  and  he  stag- 
gered back  half  dazed.  In  a  moment  more  the 
American  had  him  covered  with  a  pistol. 

"  Hush !  "  he  said  warningly,  and  added  in  broken 
Spanish :  "  No  noise,  or  I  fire  !  " 

"  Pig  !  "  growled  the  sharpshooter.  "  Pig  !  Give 
me  back  my  Mauser !  " 

"  Hush,  I  tell  you,  if  you  value  your  life." 

The  Tagal  now  understood  and  became  silent, 
although  he  looked  angry  enough  to  annihilate  the 
young  officer  who  had  thus  got  the  better  of  him. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  Ben  did  not  know  what 
to  do  next.  One  object  of  his  scouting  had  already 
been  accomplished,  —  to  find  out  if  the  enemy  really 
had  sharpshooters  in  the  neighborhood,  —  and  his 
main  desire  now  was  to  get  back  to  the  American 
lines  with  Gilmore  and  without  further  trouble. 

"  Captain,  who  is  that  ? "  asked  the  lieutenant, 
feebly. 


CAUGHT   BY   SHARPSHOOTERS  25 

"  A  sharpshooter.     I  have  just  disarmed  him." 

"A  sharpshooter!  Why  don't  you  fill  him  with 
lead  ?  " 

"  I  can't  do  that  —  now  he  is  my  prisoner.  Besides, 
I  don't  want  to  arouse  the  whole  neighborhood." 

"Is  he  alone?" 

"  His  friends  are  not  far  off." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"I  hardly  know.  I  can't  take  him  and  you  both 
into  camp,  and  I  can't  let  him  go." 

"  No,  no,  don't  let  him  go.  He'll  bring  the  whole 
nest  around  our  ears  in  no  time." 

"  Put  your  hands  up,"  said  Ben  to  the  prisoner,  as 
best  he  could  in  Spanish.  "  And  be  careful  of  what 
you  do,  or  I'll  fire  on  you." 

The  language  was  understood,  and  the  sharpshooter 
put  up  his  dirty  hands  sullenly.  Then  Ben  made 
him  move  into  the  hollow  and  sit  down  on  a  rock. 
The  Tagal  had  now  no  weapon  but  a  short  knife,  and 
this  the  young  captain  took  from  him. 

"  How  many  sharpshooters  around  here  ? "  Ben 
asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  was  the  short  reply. 

"  Were  you  ordered  to  stay  here  all  day  ?  " 

"No;  we  stay  here  so  long  as  it  pleases  us/ 


26  UNDER   MicAETHUR  IN  LUZON 

"  You  were  told  that  the  Americans  were  coming 
in  this  direction?" 

"No,  but  we  suspect  it." 

"Why?" 

At  this  the  Tagal  grinned.  "  Because  our  gen- 
eral has  been  waking  them  up." 

"  Of  course  you  know  just  where  your  men  are 
located  on  your  picket  line?"  went  on  the  young 
captain. 

The  sharpshooter  did  not  quite  understand  this 
question,  and  Ben  had  to  repeat  it  in  several  ways. 
At  last  the  Tagal  nodded  slowly.  Ben  turned  to 
Gilmore. 

"Lieutenant,  do  you  think  you  can  allow  that 
fellow  to  carry  you  on  his  back?" 

"  Carry  me  ?  "  queried  Gilmore,  in  intense  surprise. 

"  Yes.  I'll  see  to  it  that  he  does  it  as  carefully  as 
possible." 

"But  I  don't  understand." 

"I  want  this  man  to  show  the  way  back  to  our 
lines,  between  the  Filipino  sharpshooters.  If  he 
carries  you,  I  can  walk  beside  him  and  see  to  it  that 
he  plays  us  no  trick.     Now  do   you   understand  ? " 

"  I  do,"  cried  the  lieutenant,  and  his  face  bright- 
ened.    "But  will  the  fellow  do  it?" 


He  ranged  up  beside  the  fellow  with  drawn  pistol      Page  27 


CAUGHT   BY   SHARPSHOOTERS  27 

"  I'll  make  him  do  it,"  returned  Ben,  firmly. 

A  talk  of  several  minutes  with  the  Tagal  fol- 
lowed. At  first  the  sharpshooter  was  very  unwill- 
ing, and  shook  his  head  steadily,  hut  when  Bee. 
placed  a  pistol  to  the  man's  forehead  he  quickly 
changed  his  mind.  Then  Gilmore  was  lifted  up,  and 
the  Tagal  caught  hold  of  his  legs,  while  the  lieuten- 
ant used  what  little  strength  he  had  to  cling  to  the 
man's  neck. 

"Now  you  have  got  to  get  us  past  your  sharp- 
shooters in  safety,"  said  Ben,  emphatically.  "  If 
you  attempt  to  play  us  any  trick,  I'll  shoot  you 
on  the  spot.  Forward ! "  And  picking  up  the 
Tagal's  rifle  and  slinging  it  over  his  shoulder,  he 
ranged  up  beside  the  fellow,  with  drawn  pistol  ready 
for  use. 

It  was  plain  to  see  the  sharpshooter  did  not  relish 
the  task  cut  out  for  him,  yet  as  he  did  not  want  to 
be  shot,  he  moved  forward  as  directed,  and  soon  the 
hollow  was  left  behind  and  the  party  of  three  was 
heading  toward  the  rocks  before  mentioned. 

The  downfall  of  rain  had  now  increased,  and  but 
little  could  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  a  hundred  feet  or 
even  less.  The  guide  found  a  passage  between  the 
rocks  and  then  moved  directly  northward. 


28        UNDER  MacAETHUE  IN  LUZON 

"  This  is  not  the  way  to  the  American  camp,"  said 
Ben,  as  he  halted  the  sharpshooter. 

"  We  must  go  around ;  six  or  eight  sharpshooters 
are  ahead,"  replied  the  Tagal,  sourly. 

"  Oh,  all  right ;  but  mind  what  I  told  you."  And 
the  young  officer  shook  his  pistol  suggestively.  On 
they  went  again,  and  no  more  was  said  for  nearly 
quarter  of  an  hour,  when  the  sharpshooter  came  to  a 
sudden  halt. 

"What's  the  trouble  now?"  began  Ben,  when  he 
saw  several  forms  moving  in  the  brushwood  ahead. 
"Are  they  your  men?"  he  questioned  quickly. 

"Who  can  tell  that  —  in  this  storm?"  was  the 
reply.  And  then  the  Tagal  added :  "  I  did  not  know 
anybody  was  here." 

The  forms  were  approaching  rapidly,  and  there 
was  no  time  to  retreat.  Suddenly  the  Tagal  uttered 
a  sharp  cry  and  pushed  Gilmore  from  him.  He  had 
recognized  some  fellow-sharpshooters,  and  fearing 
for  his  own  safety  he  dodged  behind  a  tree,  but  not 
before  Ben  had  fired  on  him  and  wounded  him  in  the 
shoulder. 

The  cry  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Filipinos, 
and  the  shot  made  them  take  to  cover.  But  in  a 
minute  the  young  captain  and  his  companion  were 


CAUGHT   BY   SHARPSHOOTERS  29 

surrounded,  and  a  voice  called  out,  in  very  bad 
English:  "Americano,  surrender,  or  we  shoot  him 
dead!" 

Ben  looked  around,  lowering  his  pistol  as  he  did  so. 
He  saw  the  barrels  of  four  rifles  pointed  at  him  and 
the  barrel  of  a  fifth  pointed  at  Gilmore,  who  lay  flat 
on  his  back,  almost  breathless  with  pain. 

"I  —  I  surrender  !  "  gasped  the  lieutenant.  "  Don't 
kill  me  in  cold  blood !  " 

"  Do  you  surrender,  capitan  ?  "  demanded  the  voice 
which  had  spoken  before. 

Ben  hesitated,  but  only  for  a  moment  longer.  He 
saw  several  determined  faces  peering  at  him,  saw  that 
the  Filipinos  were  ready  to  pull  trigger  at  the  word 
of  command,  and  felt  that  the  discharge  of  rifles 
would  more  than  likely  prove  deadly. 

"  I  surrender,"  he  said  quietly,  and  his  heart  sank 
as  he  uttered  the  words. 

"  The  capitan  will  throw  down  his  pistol  and  his 
rifle,"  went  on  the  Tagalog  leader. 

Without  ceremony  Ben  did  as  requested.  The 
Tagals  came  out  of  the  brushwood,  and  the  Americans 
were  quickly  surrounded  and  searched,  and  all  of 
their  other  weapons  taken  from  them.  Then  the  man 
named  Riva  came  forward  and  claimed  his  rifle  and 


80  UNDER  MaoARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

his  knife,  telling  his  story  with  all  the  points  possible 
in  his  favor. 

A  lively  discussion  followed.  The  sharpshooters 
were  willing  to  conduct  Ben  to  the  rear,  considering 
it  a  great  feather  in  their  cap  to  have  captured  an 
Americano  capitan,  but  none  of  them  wished  to  carry 
Gilmore. 

"  Shoot  him  where  he  lies,"  said  two  of  the  party, 
and  one  raised  his  rifle  for  that  purpose. 

"  Don't,  you  inhuman  brute ! "  protested  Ben. 
"  That  is  not  war ;  it  is  murder !  " 

"  Let  him  be  as  he  is,"  said  the  leader  of  the  sharp- 
shooters. "  If  he  lives,  very  well ;  if  not,  it  will  not 
matter.  Come !  "  And  he  ordered  Ben  on,  raising 
his  rifle  as  he  spoke.  The  young  captain  wished  to 
protest,  and  even  offered  to  carry  Gilmore  himself ; 
but  the  Tagals  would  not  listen,  and  so  he  had  to 
move  on,  leaving  his  injured  companion  to  his  fate. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  MEETING  IN   A  NIPA  HUT 

Ben  wondered  where  he  was  to  be  taken,  but  his 
captors  remained  silent  on  the  subject,  and  at  last 
threatened  to  shoot  him  on  the  spot  if  he  did  not 
stop  asking  questions. 

The  trail  led  in  the  direction  of  the  Pasig  River, 
and  as  the  party  proceeded  the  ground  became  more 
and  more  sloppy,  until  all  were  wading  in  water 
up  to  their  ankles.  Meanwhile  the  downpour  of 
rain  continued,  soaking  the  party  to  the  skin.  It 
was  a  cold  rain  calculated  to  strike  one's  very 
backbone,  and  made  the  young  captain  shiver. 

At  last,  when  Ben  was  coming  to  the  conclusion 

that  they  were  bound  directly  for   the   Laguna   de 

Bay,  the  leader  of  the   party  made   a   turn   to   the 

southward.      Here  there  had  once  been  an  extensive 

rice  field,  but  this  was  now  torn  up  and  abandoned. 

Beyond  the  field,  backed  by  a  small  growth  of  palm 

trees,  was  a  nipa  hut  with  several  bamboo  sheds 

surrounding  it.      The  course  was  straight  for  the 

31 


32  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

nipa  hut,  and  Ben  was  told  to  halt  before  it.  Then 
the  leader  of  the  sharpshooters  disappeared  inside 
the  structure. 

The  young  captain  suspected  that  the  hut  was  a 
sort  of  headquarters  for  the  sharpshooters,  and  in 
this  he  was  right,  for  presently  the  leader  of  the 
party  returned,  followed  by  a  Tagal  wearing  the  uni- 
form of  a  captain.  The  latter  ordered  the  American 
into  the  hut,  and  Ben  entered. 

It  was  a  low,  dingy  affair,  dirty  to  the  last  degree, 
the  ceiling  covered  with  soot  and  the  floor  overrun 
with  vermin.  In  the  centre  of  the  single  apartment 
which  it  contained  was  a  rude  table,  surrounded  by 
several  chairs,  while  in  one  corner  rested  some  boxes 
of  ammunition,  and  in  another  a  few  army  stores. 

The  Filipino  captain  spoke  broken  English  and 
seemed  rather  a  good  kind  of  a  fellow.  With  a 
profound  bow  he  invited  Ben  to  take  a  seat. 

"  You  have  come  in  one  big  rain,  capitan"  he  began. 
"  You  should  have  taken  some  better  weather  for 
your  trip  to  our  camp,"  and  he  smiled  broadly. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  didn't  expect  to  come  so  far," 
returned  Ben,  rather  amused  at  the  show  of  humor, 
which  is  generally  lacking  in  the  average  Tagal. 

"  I  understand  it  must  be  so.     But  now  you  are 


A  MEETING  IN   A  NIPA   HUT  33 

with  us,  and  it   is   raining   so   hard,   you   will   not 

object  to  remaining?" 

"I  suppose  I'll  have  to  stay,"  said  Ben,  bluntly. 
"Why   put   the   matter   so   harshly,    capitan?     I 

will  count  you  as  my  guest." 

"  If  you  will  count  me  as  a  guest,  do  me  a  favor. " 

"Anything  I  can  do  I  will  do  gladly." 

"  Then  send  some  men  back  for  my  companion." 

"  What  was  the  trouble  with  him  ?  " 

"  He  fell  on  the  rocks  and  hurt  his  back." 

"  That    is    truly    unfortunate,    capitan.      But    it 

would  do  small  good  for  me  to  send  back  for  him. 

Our   hospital  camps  are  already  overcrowded  —  not 

one  could  take  him   in." 

"  He  will  die  if  left  alone,  without  food  or  drink, 

and  in  this  weather." 

At    this   the    Filipino   captain   shrugged  his  lean 

shoulders.     "That   must   be    his   affair  —  not   mine. 

But  you  may  be  mistaken.     He  may  crawl  back  to 

his  friends." 

Ben  shook  his  head   slowly.     He   pitied   Gilmore 

from  the  bottom  of  his  heart.     Yet  a  glance  at  the 

face  of  the  individual  before  him  told  him  that   to 

argue  the  matter  further  would  be  useless. 

"A  portion  of  your  army  is  pushing  this  way,  I 


34  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

believe  ?  "  went  on  the  Filipino  commander,  slowly, 
and  fixing  his  black  eyes  full  upon  the  young  officer. 

"  My  comrade  and  I  were  pushing  this  way." 

The  Filipino  frowned.  Ben  saw  that  he  was  now 
ready  to  throw  aside  his  mask  and  get  down  to 
business.     "You  were  spies?" 

"  I  must  decline  to  answer  further  questions,  sir." 

"  You  were  spies,  sent  to  find  out  our  strength  ?  " 
continued  the  Filipino. 

Ben  remained  silent. 

"Are  you  going  to  answer,  or  will  you  take  the 
consequences,  capitan  ?  " 

"I  have  nothing  further  to  say." 

44  But  I  will  make  you  talk ! "  cried  the  rebel, 
his  voice  rising.  "I  have  never  yet  been  balked, 
either  by  Spaniards  or  Americanos.  Do  you  know 
who  I  am?     I  am  Captain  Relosus." 

At  the  mention  of  that  name  Ben  could  not  help 
but  start,  for  he  had  heard  it  many  times  before. 
Captain  Relosus  was  one  of  the  leading  sharp- 
shooters and  spies  among  the  Tagals,  and  it  was 
known  that  he  had  been  in  Manila  more  than  once, 
on  secret  missions  for  General  Aguinaldo.  It  was 
Relosus  who  aided  in  the  conspiracy  to  burn  down 
the  capital,  and  it  was  also  this  man   who  had,  on 


A  MEETING  IN  A  NIP  A  HUT  35 

three  different  occasions,  persuaded  American  sol- 
diers to  desert  from  the  ranks  and  throw  in  their 
fortunes  with  the  insurgents. 

"You  are  the  noted  Captain  Relosus,  he  who 
escaped  from  Manila  but  a  few  weeks  ago  ? "  ques- 
tioned Ben,  slowly,  hardly  knowing  what  else  to 
say. 

"The  same,  and  I  am  glad  you  know  of  me, 
capitan,  for  you  now  understand  with  whom  you 
have  to  deal.  I  allow  nothing  and  nobody  to  stand 
in  my  way."  Captain  Relosus  drew  himself  up  to 
his  full  height  of  five  feet  four  inches.  "  When  I 
ask  a  question  it  must  be  answered." 

Again  there  was  a  pause,  and  each  captain  looked 
the  other  squarely  in  the  face.  Ben  saw  that  the 
man  before  him  was  an  equal  mixture  of  shrewd- 
ness, conceit,  dandyism,  and  brutal  stubbornness — - 
a  combination  due  to  his  mixed  Spanish,  Tagalog, 
and  Malayan  blood.  He  was  a  man  who  might  be 
easily  coaxed,  but  never  driven. 

Noting  all  this,  Ben  forced  a  smile  to  his  face. 
"  Captain,  you  are  a  wonderful  man.  Your  escape 
from  the  city  is  the  talk  of  the  town.  How  ever 
did  you  accomplish  it  ?  " 

"  Ha !  ha  I     I  fooled  the  Americano  guards  nicely, 


36  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN"   LUZON" 

did  I  not?  So  they  talk  about  it,  eh?  Well,  let 
them  talk,  they  will  never  find  out  how  it  was 
done." 

"You  seem  to  go  and  come  at  your  will." 

"  And  why  not  ?  Have  we  not  many  friends  still 
in  Manila?  If  you  knew  the  truth  you  would  be 
surprised.  Some  day  General  Otis  — "  He  broke 
off  short.  "  Bah,  I  am  talking  too  much,  when  it  is 
you  who  must  speak.  Answer  me,  does  your  General 
Lawton  command  at  the  waterworks  now  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  you  know  everything,  Captain  Relosus, 
so  what  is  the  use  for  me  to  speak  ?  I  imagine  you 
know  more  than  I  do,  for  I  came  from  San  Isidro  but 
a  few  days  ago." 

"  Ha !  General  Lawton  was  at  San  Isidro,  I  know 
that,  and  if  you  were  with  him  and  are  now  here,  he 
must  be  here  too."  The  Tagal  captain  grated  his 
teeth.  "  We  shall  meet,  and  I  will  kill  him !  "  he 
muttered  in  his  native  dialect.  "And  I  will  kill 
General  Otis,  too  !  " 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  is  to  be  done  with 
me,"  said  Ben,  after  another  pause,  during  which 
the  rebel  began  to  pace  the  floor. 

"  What  do  I  care  what  becomes  of  you,  capitan  ? 
You  have  played  your  game  and  lost,  and  I  must  look 


A   MEETING   IN"   A  N"IPA   HUT  37 

ahead.     One  thing  is  sure — you  shall  not  go  back; 
have  no  fear  on  that  score." 

"  But  you  will  treat  me  as  a  prisoner  of  war?  " 
The  rebel  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  that?  When  Santa  Cruz  was  taken  by  your 
Lawton  some  months  ago,  what  did  they  do  to  my 
brothers  in  arms?  Sixteen  were  made  prisoners, 
while  forty-six  wounded  Tagals  were  shot  or  stabbed 
in  the  back.  Ha  !  do  not  deny  it,  for  it  is  true,  true  ! 
And  when  Angat  was  taken,  during  the  march  on 
San  Isidro,  what  happened  then  ?  Six  innocent  natives 
were  slain,  including  a  mother  and  her  child.  Your 
soldiers  said  it  was  an  accident.  Bah !  Perhaps  it 
will  be  an  accident  if  you  are  some  day  shot  in  the 
back  while  you  are  a  prisoner  among  us.  You  say 
we  are  butchers  —  that  the  Spaniards  were  butchers 
here  and  in  Cuba !  Your  soldiers  are  just  as  bad,  and 
some  of  your  wild  men  from  your  Western  states  are 
worse !  No,  no,  do  not  deny  it,  for  I  have  seen  these 
things  with  my  own  eyes."  The  Filipino  shook  his 
fists  in  Ben's  face.  "  Perhaps  you  are  not  like  some 
of  them,  but  oh,  when  I  remember  what  I  have  seen 
it  makes  my  blood  boil,  and  I  would  go  out  and  kill, 
kill,  kill,  every  Americano  ! '' 

The  passionate  outburst  lasted  for  several  minutes, 


38        UNDER  MacARTHUR,  IN  LUZON 

and  toward  the  end  Captain  Relosus  spoke  so  rapidly, 
and  in  Spanish,  that  Ben  understood  only  a  small 
portion  of  what  was  said.  At  last  the  rebel  turned 
on  him  sharply.  "You  will  not  speak?  Very  well, 
but  the  consequences  will  be  on  your  own  head.  Do 
not  forget  that  I  gave  you  fair  warning."  With 
this  he  turned  to  the  door  and  went  out. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  young  captain  was 
greatly  downcast,  nor  did  his  spirits  improve  when 
two  Filipinos  came  in  with  a  rope  and  bound  his  hands 
behind  him.  Then  he  was  forced  into  a  sitting  posi- 
tion on  the  wet  flooring  of  the  hut  and  tied  fast  to 
one  of  the  corner  posts.  This  work  was  just  com- 
pleted when  several  shots  were  heard,  coming  from  a 
distance,  and  the  rebels  ran  outside  to  learn  what 
they  meant. 

Left  to  himself,  Ben  wondered  what  would  happen 
next.  He  knew  that  the  American  forces  at  the 
waterworks  intended  to  move  before  nightfall,  but 
would  they  come  in  that  direction,  or  strike  out  to 
the  southeastward?  The  shots  worried  him  also,  for 
he  could  not  help  but  connect  them  with  the  possible 
fate  of  poor  Gilmore. 

An  hour  went  by,  and  the  rain  came  down  more 
furiously  than  ever,  causing  a  pool  of  water  to  collect 


A  MEETING   IN  A  NIPA  HUT  39 

near  the  door  of  the  nipa  hut,  the  flooring  of  which 
was  nothing  but  smooth  mud.  Nobody  came  near 
him,  and  he  was  half  inclined  to  believe  that  some- 
thing unusual  had  turned  up  and  caused  the  rebels  to 
retreat,  leaving  him  deserted. 

At  last  there  was  the  sound  of  a  caribao  cart  ap- 
proaching, the  caribaos  splashing  dismally  through  the 
mud  and  Mrater  of  the  trail.  The  cart  halted  close 
beside  the  nipa  hut,  and  from  under  a  rubber  covering 
crawled  a  tall  Spaniard  wearing  the  uniform  of  a 
Filipino  general.  The  Spaniard  was  followed  by  a 
short  and  exceedingly  stout  Tagal  boy,  carrying  some 
luggage  and  a  brace  of  old-fashioned  army  pistols. 

"This  is  the  spot,  Carlos?"  demanded  the  Span- 
ish officer,  of  the  cart  driver. 

"The  same,  general." 

"But  I  see  nobody  around." 

"They  were  all  here  last  night,  general.  I  saw 
them  with  my  own  eyes." 

"  Then  I  will  go  in  and  wait.  If  you  see  Captain 
Relosus  or  any  of  the  others,  send  them  to  me  at 
once." 

"I  will,  general." 

"Tell  them  I  bring  news  of  great  importance," 
concluded  the  Spaniard,  and  then  he  stepped  into  the 


40  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN    LUZON 

hut,  shaking  the  water  from  his  feathered  hat  as  he 
did  so. 

The  gloom  outside  made  the  interior  of  the  hut, 
which  boasted  of  but  one  window,  quite  dark,  and  for 
several  minutes  the  Spaniard  did  not  discover  Ben's 
presence.  He  stood  near  the  doorway  and  ordered 
the  Tagal  boy  to  bring  in  his  luggage  and  pistols,  and 
told  the  youth  to  hunt  up  something  to  eat  if  he 
could. 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  General  Lupez,"  answered  the 
boy,  and  ran  away  to  one  of  the  sheds  close  to  which 
a  camp-fire  had  been  burning. 

At  the  mention  of  the  name  Ben's  heart  gave  a 
bound  of  curiosity.  General  Lupez  !  Could  this  be 
the  man,  Jose"  Lupez,  who  had  run  away  with  the 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  obtained  from  Benedicto  Lupez, 
which  belonged  to  the  Hearthstone  Saving  Institu- 
tion? 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  TAKING  OF  CAINTA  AND  TAYTAY 

"  Ha,  a  prisoner !    Why  did  you  not  speak,  man"?  ' 

"  I  didn't  know  that  it  was  my  place  to  speak," 
answered  Ben,  coldly.  "  I  hadn't  anything  to 
say." 

"  You  are  an  Americano  capitan  ?  A  good  haul, 
truly." 

"  And  you  are  a  Filipino  general  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Am  I  addressing  General  Jose*  Lupez  ? "  went 
on  the  young  captain,  curiously. 

"  You  are."  The  Spaniard  stared  at  Ben.  "  Where 
have  we  met  before  ?     I  remember  it  not." 

"I  don't  believe  we  ever  met,  General  Lupez. 
But  I  have  often  heard  of  you,  and  I  have  seen  your 
photograph." 

"  I  see.     And  what  is  your  name  ?  " 

The  young  captain  hesitated.      Should  he  reveal 

himself?      Probably   it  would  do  no   harm,  unless 

41 


42  UNDER  MacARTHUE   IN   LUZON 

General  Lupez  should  hold  him  responsible  for  Bene- 
dicto's  capture.     But  would  it  do  any  good  ? 

"  I  prefer  to  keep  my  name  to  myself,  sir." 

The  Spaniard  drew  up  his  shoulders.  "As  you 
will.     Perhaps  you  are  somebody  of  importance." 

"  No,  I  am  only  an  ordinary  soldier.  I  was  a 
lieutenant,  but  our  captain  was  shot,  and  — " 

"I  see  —  they  made  you  capitan;  very  good  — 
if  you  are  worth  the  position.  But  you  are  not  much 
of  a  capitan  now,  ha !  ha !  Who  caught  you  ?  some 
of  Capitan  Relosus's  men  ?  " 

"  Yes,  general." 

"  They  are  a  shrewd  set — some  of  our  best.  Well, 
if  you  are  a  spy,  your  days  are  numbered ;  probably 
you  already  know  that."  The  general  paused.  "  You 
have  been  in  Manila  lately  ?  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
my  brother,  Benedicto  Lupez  ?  " 

"  Quite  often.     He  is  in  prison." 

"  As  a  rebel  ?  " 

"  Both  as  a  rebel  and  on  a  charge  of  robbery.  It 
is  said  he  stole  some  money  brought  to  Luzon  by  an 
American." 

"  'Tis  not  true  !  "  exclaimed  Jose"  Lupez,  growing 
red  in  the  face.  "  I  know  the  whole  story,  and  my 
brother  came  by  the  money  honestly.     The  charge  is 


THE   TAKING   OF   CAINTA    AND   TAYTAY  43 

one  gotten  up  by  you  Americanos  merely  to  create  a 
sensation." 

"  But  I  was  told  Sefior  Benedicto  Lupez  had  con- 
fessed and  had  surrendered  part  of  the  money." 

"  Indeed !  "  General  Lupez  gazed  at  Ben  curi- 
ously. "And  what  do  they  say  he  did  with  the 
balance  of  the  money  ?  " 

"  They  say  he  gave  it  to  his  brother." 

"  To  me  ?  How  absurd  !  The  invention  truly  of 
pigs,  vile  Americano  pigs ! "  The  general  began  to 
pace  the  floor  nervously.  "  Why  should  I  take  his 
money,  since  I  have  always  had  more  than  enough  of 
my  own?  'Tis  truly  the  invention  of  Americano 
pigs!  They  are  willing  to  say  everything  that  is 
bad  of  a  Spaniard  or  a  Tagal." 

"  They  say  that  you  took  five  thousand  dollars  of 
the  money  and  bought  your  title  in  the  army  with 
it,"  went  on  Ben,  anxious,  if  possible,  to  draw  the 
Spaniard  out. 

"  Again  I  say  absurd.  The  appointment  came  to 
me  direct  from  General  Aguinaldo,  who  is  our  Presi- 
dent also,  and  it  came  without  solicitation  on  my 
part,  although  I  will  admit  some  of  my  friends 
insisted  on  my  appointment,  knowing  my  military 
ability.     I  have  no  money  but  my  own,  and  I  want 


44  UNDER  MacARTHUR   IN   LUZO^ 

none.  The  Americanos  — "  General  Lupez  broke 
off  short.  "Ah,  Capitan  Relosus,  here  at  last.  I 
was  wanting  to  see  you." 

"  There  is  no  time  now  !  "  burst  out  the  captain  of 
the  sharpshooters,  speaking  in  the  Tagalog  dialect. 
"  The  Americanos  are  in  the  jungle  below,  and 
pressing  forward  with  all  speed.  We  must  re- 
treat !  " 

"  The  enemy  !     A  large  number  ?  " 

"  My  men  counted  a  regiment  at  least,  and  more 
to  the  southward.  We  cannot  hold  this  ground  ;  it 
is  too  open.  We  must  retreat  to  Cainta,  and  possi- 
bly to  Taytay." 

The  captain  of  the  sharpshooters  showed  that  he 
was  much  aroused.  He  had  been  followed  by  sev- 
eral of  his  men,  and  one  of  these  now  liberated  Ben 
from  the  corner  post  of  the  hut. 

"You  must  go  with  us,"  said  Captain  Relosus. 
"  And  go  quickly  and  without  resistance,  unless  you 
wish  to  be  shot." 

No  more  was  said,  and  in  a  moment  more  Ben 
found  himself  outside.  The  rain  had  ceased,  but  the 
air  was  full  of  moisture  and  the  trail  all  but  impassa- 
ble. At  a  distance  there  was  steady  firing,  showing 
that  a  lively  skirmish  was  on. 


THE  TAKING  OF  CAINTA  AND  TAYTAY    45 

Before  Ben  could  look  around  him,  he  was  hur- 
ried along  the  trail  leading  to  the  lake  shore.  Here 
there  had  been  a  large  Filipino  encampment,  but  all 
the  soldiers  were  now  either  at  the  front  or  in  full 
retreat.  He  had  a  rebel  at  each  side  of  him,  the 
pair  holding  on  to  the  rope  which  bound  his  hands 
behind  him.  Each  rebel  had  a  gun  slung  over  his 
shoulder,  and  looked  like  a  fairly  good  fighter,  even 
though  barefooted  and  in  tatters. 

"Where  are  you  going  to  take  me?"  asked  the 
young  captain,  as  they  hurried  along.  But  neither 
would  answer  the  question,  even  if  he  understood  it, 
which  was  doubtful,  and  both  only  grinned  wickedly 
and  trotted  him  on  faster  than  ever. 

All  the  while  they  were  running  Ben  was  working 
at  his  wrists,  and  presently,  as  they  came  to  a  patch 
of  woods,  he  was  delighted  to  find  that  his  right 
hand  could  be  slipped  from  its  fastening. 

"  Now  or  never ! "  he  thought,  and  watching  his 
opportunity,  he  gave  the  guard  on  his  right  a  tre- 
mendous shove  which  pitched  the  Tagal  headlong 
over  a  tree  root.  Then  he  leaped  at  the  other  fellow, 
snatching  for  the  rifle  as  he  did  so.  The  Mauser 
fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  Tagal  on  top  of  it.  Before 
he  could  get  up,  the  young  captain  bowled  him  over 


46        UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

a  second  time,  seized  the  gun,  and  leaped  behind  the 
nearest  tree. 

The  action  came  none  too  soon,  for  he  was  not  jet 
out  of  sight  when  the  first  guard,  recovering  from  his 
tumble,  scrambled  up,  pointed  his  rifle,  and  blazed 
away,  the  bullet  clipping  the  tree  within  six  inches 
of  Ben's  head.  The  young  captain  thought  first  to 
return  the  fire,  and  raised  the  Mauser  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  but  then  he  realized  his  scarcity  of  ammunition, 
and  turning,  ran  at  the  top  of  his  speed  without  dis- 
charging the  weapon. 

Ben  did  not  know  where  he  was  going,  and  just 
then  he  did  not  care.  His  one  thought  was  to  get 
away  from  his  enemies,  who  were  now  shouting 
wildly  to  others  that  the  Americano  had  escaped. 
On  and  on  he  dashed,  deeper  and  deeper  into  the 
thickets,  until  the  heavy  undergrowth  and  interlacing 
tropical  vines  refused  him  further  progress.  It  was 
both  dark  and  wet,  and  when  he  came  to  a  halt,  he 
could  scarcely  see  his  hand  before  his  face. 

"  If  only  our  troops  come  this  way,"  he  thought. 
He  listened  with  strained  ears  and  heard  shot  after 
shot  fired,  but  they  seemed  to  be  mainly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  lake. 

It  was  some  time  ere  he  could  regain  his  breath, 


THE  TAKING   OF   CAINTA   AND   TAYTAY  47 

and  after  this  he  set  to  work  to  liberate  his  left  wrist 
from  the  rope  which  still  encircled  it.  There  was  no 
comfort  in  standing  in  water  up  to  his  knees,  for  the 
bottom  of  the  jungle  was  little  better  than  a  marsh, 
and  reaching  for  some  vines  clinging  to  a  tree,  he 
pulled  himself  up  to  the  lower  branches.  Here  he 
sat  awaiting  developments. 

In  the  meantime  the  American  column  was  swing- 
ing forward  rapidly.  The  troops,  which  were  under 
the  immediate  command  of  General  Hall,  consisted 
of  some  Oregon,  Colorado,  and  Wyoming  volunteers, 
and  portions  of  the  Fourth  and  Ninth  Infantry,  and 
Fourth  Cavalry,  as  well  as  the  battalion  of  Colonel 
Darcy's  regiment  to  which  Ben  belonged.  They  had 
with  them  four  mounted  guns,  which,  however,  were 
moved  along  the  muddy  roads  only  with  the  greatest 
of  difficulty. 

It  was  General  Lawton's  plan  to  have  General 
Hall's  column  close  in  on  the  rebels  on  the  north, 
and  drive  them  down  the  shore  of  the  Laguna  de 
Bay  (now  commonly  called  by  the  Americans  "  Bay 
Lake")  to  Pasig,  where  the  American  troops  stationed 
at  that  point  were  to  unite  with  the  others  in  hem- 
ming in  the  insurgents. 

The  plan  was  an  excellent  one,  but  the  nature  of 


48         UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

the  ground  covered  made  it  difficult  of  execution, 
and  General  Hall's  column  had  barely  come  in  sight 
of  Antipolo,  when  it  was  fired  upon.  A  running  fire 
continued  for  two  miles,  when  the  rebels  were  discov- 
ered in  a  well-constructed  line  of  trenches  on  the 
distant  hillside. 

"  We  must  scatter  them,  boys,"  said  the  general. 
"  General  Lawton  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty. 
Forward !  "  And  forward  they  did  go,  one  command 
after  another,  Colonel  Darcy's  first  battalion  well  to 
the  front,  with  Major  Morris  commanding,  and  one 
of  the  lieutenants  of  Company  B  leading  Ben's  com- 
mand. Many  wondered  what  had  become  of  Captain 
Russell  and  Lieutenant  Gilmore,  and  some  gave  up 
both  as  dead. 

The  trenches  were  gained  after  a  fight  lasting  half 
an  hour,  in  which  a  dozen  rebels  were  killed  and 
several  Americans  were  badly  wounded,  and  then 
the  column  pushed  on,  over  roads  which  were  little 
better  than  gullies  of  mud.  None  of  the  wagons 
or  guns  could  get  through,  and  all  had  to  be  left 
behind. 

As  soon  as  General  Lawton  understood  how  mat- 
ters were  faring  he  ordered  the  troops  at  Pasig 
forward,   in    the    direction    of    Cainta,  which    was 


THE  TAKING  OF  CAINTA  AND  TAYTAY    49 

shelled  at  a  lively  rate  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  This  was  the  firing  which  reached 
Ben's  ears,  for  the  best  part  of  the  day  had  been 
spent  when  Captain  Relosus  announced  to  General 
Lupez  that  they  must  move.  The  shelling  soon 
cleared  Cainta  of  all  natives,  soldiers  or  otherwise, 
the  majority  of  whom  fled  toward  Taytay.  Later 
still,  Taytay  was  also  taken,  and  then  the  rebel 
army  retreated  to  Morong  and  to  Antipole  The 
natives  of  Taytay  were  very  much  disturbed  at  the 
fighting,  and  after  it  was  over  could  only  be  sub- 
dued with  the  greatest  of  difficulty.  It  was  rumored 
in  the  village  that  the  Americanos  were  about  to 
massacre  all  the  women  and  children,  and  a  num- 
ber of  mothers  fled  to  the  jungle,  taking  their  little 
ones  with  them.  Long  after,  it  came  out  that  the 
rumor  was  started  by  a  Filipino  recruiting  officer, 
who  used  this  means  as  an  inducement  to  get  the 
male  inhabitants  to  join  the  rebel  army.  Whether 
his  ruse  succeeded  to  any  extent  or  not,  is  not 
known. 

Sitting  in  the  tree  in  the  jungle,  Ben  heard  the 
firing  grow  more  and  more  distinct,  and  late  in  the 
afternoon  heard  the  strange  whining  of  a  shell  as 
it  sped  over  the  tree-tops. 


50  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

"Hullo,  they  must  certainly  be  getting  close 
now,"  he  mused.  "  I  wonder  if  it  is  safe  for  me  to 
try  to  go  on  ?  " 

Feeling  he  could  not  remain  in  his  present  posi- 
tion forever,  he  slowly  descended  to  the  ground 
and  commenced  to  retrace  his  steps,  feeling  that  it 
would  be  foolhardy  to  go  deeper  into  that  labyrinth 
of  bushes  and  vines.  He  picked  his  way  with  care 
and  kept  the  rifle  before  him  ready  for  use.  Once 
or  twice  he  stumbled  and  went  headlong  in  the 
mud  and  water.  He  was  just  getting  up  from  one  of 
these  tumbles,  when  a  slight  scream  reached  his  ears. 

The  scream  sounded  as  if  it  came  from  a  woman, 
and  he  came  to  a  dead  halt  to  listen.  But  it  was 
not  repeated,  and  now,  the  firing  having  died  away 
in  the  distance,  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness. 

"Perhaps  I  only  fancied  it,"  he  mused,  and  moved 
forward  again,  but  with  increased  caution.  Then  he 
heard  a  low  voice  start  to  speak,  only  to  be  cut  off 
at  the  third  word.  A  swishing  of  bushes  followed, 
coming  from  close  at  hand. 

Some  one  was  in  that  vicinity,  some  one  who  knew 
of  his  presence.  Whether  the  unknown  was  friend 
or  enemy,  he  could  not  tell,  yet  he  felt  pretty  cer- 
tain it  was  an  enemy. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A  SCENE  IK  A  MONASTERY 

Captain  Russell  had  thoroughly  learned  the 
old  proverb  to  "  make  haste  slowly,"  especially 
when  facing  an  enemy  in  the  dark.  Twice  before 
had  he  been  in  a  situation  similar  to  the  present, 
so  it  was  not  novel  even  though  trying.  On  those 
previous  occasions  he  had  escaped  with  a  whole 
skin,  and  he  intended  to  do  so  now  if  the  deed 
was  capable  of  accomplishment. 

Making  as  little  noise  as  possible,  he  dropped 
upon  the  wet  ground,  at  the  same  time  doing  his 
best  to  pierce  the  darkness  around  him.  Then,  as 
he  could  see  nothing,  he  picked  up  a  stick  lying 
near  and  threw  it  into  the  air,  taking  care  not  to 
hit  the  bushes  close  at  hand.  The  stick  came 
down  about  twenty  feet  away,  landing  in  the  brush 
with  sufficient  noise  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
others  in  that  vicinity.  There  followed  a  move- 
ment and  a  low  murmur  of  voices,  and  then  Ben 

61 


52  UNDER   MacARTHUB,   IN   LUZON 

caught  sight  of  a  woman,  clad  in  native  attire  and 
carrying  a  little  girl  in  her  arms. 

"  Alto  I  (Stop !)  "  he  called,  in  Spanish,  and  added 
hastily,  "  Are  you  alone  ?  " 

At  the  question  the  woman  gave  a  slight  scream. 
"  I  beg  of  you,  Americano,  no  shoot !  "  she  wailed, 
in  the  Tagalog  dialect.  "  No  shoot !  I  have  harmed 
nobody ! " 

"  Are  you  alone  ? "  repeated  the  young  captain, 
and  took  a  step  closer,  at  which  the  little  girl 
began  to  cry  violently. 

"  Yes>  I  am  alone,"  answered  the  woman.  "  Oh, 
good  sefior,  you  will  not  harm  little  Muro  and 
myself?" 

"  No,  I  will  not  harm  you,  my  good  woman.  But 
where  did  you  come  from?" 

"From  Taytay." 

"And  what  are  you  doing  here?" 

"The  soldiers  are  at  Taytay  —  they  are  fierce  — 
they  shoot  and  kill — I  thought  we  would  not  be 
safe,  so  I  took  Muro  and  ran  into  the  jungle." 

"The  American  soldiers  are  at  Taytay?  How 
far  is  that  from  here  ?  " 

"Not  a  very  long  walk,  sefior.  Oh,  the  war  is 
dreadful  —  we   are    very   much   afraid ! "     And   the 


A  SCENE  IN   A   MONASTERY  53 

woman  hugged  her  little  daughter  tightly  to  her 
breast. 

"  Are  any  of  the  native  soldiers  in  this  jungle  ? " 

"  I  think  not.  The  army  fled  to  Morong  and  to 
other  places." 

"Then  show  me  the  way  to  Taytay.  I  will  see 
to  it  that  you  and  your  child  are  not  harmed." 

"  You  are  sure  of  this  ?  " 

"Yes.  See,  I  am  a  captain,  and  you  can  trust 
me.  It  is  only  the  brutes  who  make  war  on  the 
women  and  children,  and  they  have  no  authority 
for  so  doing.  Come ;  we  will  get  to  Taytay  with- 
out delay." 

The  woman  hesitated,  but  fearing  that  Ben  might 
use  violence,  she  finally  consented  to  lead  the  way 
back  to  the  village,  and  the  party  of  three  moved 
on  through  the  jungle  to  where  there  was  a  well- 
defined  trail.  They  had  proceeded  along  the  trail 
less  than  quarter  of  a  mile  when  a  shout  greeted 
their  ears  and  a  small  detachment  of  American 
volunteers  burst  into  view. 

"  Hike  her  up,  boys  !  "  was  the  cry.  "  Hike  her 
up,  and  don't  give  the  natives  a  chance  to  rest ! " 

"  Halt !  "  ordered  Ben.  "  Lester,  don't  you  know 
me?" 


54  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN  LUZON 

"  Captain  Russell ! "  ejaculated  the  soldier  ad- 
dressed.    "We  were  thinking  you  were  dead." 

"  Mine  cracious,  it  vos  der  cabtain,  sure  enough  !  " 
burst  out  a  voice  in  German  accents,  and  Carl  Stum- 
mer,  a  volunteer  who  had  served  with  Ben  ever  since 
the  campaign  in  Cuba,  rushed  forward.  "Dis  vos 
der  best  news  yet,  py  chiminy ! " 

"  Captain  Russell,  sure  enough,  the  saints  be 
praised ! "  put  in  an  Irish  voice,  and  Dan  Casey, 
another  of  the  old  volunteers,  pressed  to  Ben's  side. 
"  Sure,  captain,  an'  me  an'  Carl  was  afther  gittin' 
ready  to  hold  a  wake  fer  ye,  —  only  we  couldn't 
foind  the  corpse ! "  And  his  honest  face  beamed 
broadly. 

"  Well,  I'm  a  pretty  lively  corpse ! "  replied  Ben. 
"  But  where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

"  Bound  to  clear  out  the  rebels,"  answered  Lester, 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  detachment. 

"  Und  ve  vos  pount  to  look  for  you  und  Lieutenant 
Gilmore,"  put  in  Stummer.  "  Didn't  der  lieutenant 
been  mit  you?" 

"  He  was  with  me,  but  he  got  hurt,  and  the  Fili- 
pinos separated  us.  As  soon  as  the  locality  is  cleared, 
we  must  send  out  a  detachment  to  hunt  for  him. 
Where  is  the  rest  of  the  company?" 


A   SCENE   IN   A   MONASTERY  55 

"At  Taytay." 

"  Then  we  might  as  well  turn  back,  for  there  are 
no  rebels  in  sight  on  this  trail,"  continued  Ben ;  and 
soon  the  detachment  turned  about  and  marched  back 
to  the  village.  The  native  woman  and  her  child 
went  along,  but  disappeared  as  soon  as  the  first  of 
the  huts  of  the  settlement  came  into  sight. 

At  Taytay  Ben  found  not  only  his  own  battalion, 
but  also  some  of  the  Western  volunteers  and  a  small 
detachment  of  regulars.  The  first  battalion  had 
taken  possession  of  a  large  storehouse,  and  were  mak- 
ing themselves  as  comfortable  as  circumstances  per- 
mitted, which  was  not  saying  much,  since  the  village 
had  been  thoroughly  looted  by  the  rebels  ere  leaving 
it,  and  so  far  no  American  supplies  had  come  up. 
Some  of  the  boys  of  Ben's  company  had  caught  a 
little  pig,  which  the  company's  butcher  had  slaugh- 
tered, and  the  cooks  were  now  trying  to  roast  the 
porker  over  a  fire  built  outside  the  storehouse. 

"  Captain  Russell ! "  exclaimed  Major  Morris,  as 
he  strode  up  and  put  out  his  hand.  "  Then  the 
Tagals  didn't  get  you,  after  all  ?  " 

"  They  did,  though ;  but  I  got  away,  major."  And 
Ben  told  his  story  in  detail,  to  which  not  only  the  major 
but  also  a  number  of  others  listened  with  interest. 


56  UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

4S  We  must  send  out  a  detachment  for  the  lieuten- 
ant by  all  means,"  said  the  major,  when  the  captain 
had  finished.  "  But  do  you  think  we  can  locate  him 
in  the  dark?" 

"  It  may  be  difficult,  but  I  don't  think  it's  impos- 
sible, major." 

"  Are  you  too  tired  to  undertake  the  task  ?  " 

"  I'd  have  to  be  a  good  deal  more  tired  before  I'd 
forget  a  fellow-soldier  who  was  in  Gilmore's  fix," 
answered  Ben,  warmly.  "  Just  let  me  swallow  a  cup 
of  coffee  and  a  sandwich,  and  I'll  be  on  the  way." 

"Sorry,  but  there  is  no  coffee  in  camp.  I  can 
supply  you  with  a  little  bread,  though,  and  your 
cooks  are  getting  some  pork  into  shape  for  eating." 

"Then  I'll  take  a  pork  chop,  some  bread,  and  a 
drink  of  water,  and  let  it  go  at  that.  But  I'd  rather 
have  the  hot  coffee." 

"  Want  a  little  whiskey  ?  " 

"  You  know  I  don't  drink,  major,"  and  so  speaking, 
Ben  hurried  off.  Inside  of  ten  minutes  he  had  had 
his  "bite,"  as  he  expressed  it,  and  then  he  called 
Stummer,  Casey,  and  half  a  dozen  others  to  him  and 
told  them  of  what  he  wished  to  do.  All  were  eager 
to  go  along,  regardless  of  the  possible  danger. 

In  order  to  reach  the  spot  where  Gilmore  had  been 


A   SCENE  IN  A   MONASTERY  57 

left,  the  party  had  to  take  a  side  road  running  toward 
Antipolo.  The  rain  had  now  cleared  away  entirely, 
but  the  night  was  pitch  dark.  The  heat  was  oppres- 
sive —  of  that  peculiar  quality  which  follows  a  heavy 
downfall  of  rain  in  the  tropics. 

"  Sure  an'  this  heat  afther  the  rain  makes  wan  feel 
loike  he  was  comin'  out  av  a  Turkish  bath,"  observed 
Dan  Casey,  as  they  trudged  along.  "I  niver  seen 
the  loike  av  this  counthry,  wid  its  hotness  an'  its 
coldness,  an'  its  rain,  an'  dryness  aftherwards." 

"Und  its  mud,"  put  in  Carl  Stummer.  "Ton't 
forgot  dot  peautiful  mud,  Tan.  I  neffer  seen  me 
so  many  kinds  of  mud  in  mine  whole  life  pef ore  — 
plack  mud,  red  mud,  prown  mud,  yeller  mud,  und 
all  der  stickiest  mud  vot  effer  vos  alretty  !  "  And  at 
this  a  laugh  went  up  from  the  others,  who  all  agreed 
with  the  speaker,  for,  as  Ben  has  since  expressed  it, 
it  was  the  "  muddiest  mud "  any  of  them  had  ever 
experienced.  The  wagon  trains  never  came  through, 
and  had  to  be  sent  back  to  Manila  until  the  wet 
season  was  at  an  end.  During  that  campaign  one 
small  but  heavy  field-piece  sank  so  deep  in  the  road- 
bed that  it  went  out  of  sight  and,  so  far  as  known, 
has  never  been  recovered. 

Nearly  a  mile  of  the  distance  to  Antipolo  was  cov- 


58  UNDEE   MacAKTHUE   EST   LUZON 

ered  when  the  detachment  came  in  sight  of  a  small 
stone  building,  half  tumbled  down  and  covered  with 
vines,  standing  close  to  the  roadside.  This  building 
had  been  built  by  the  Spanish  friars  of  Luzon  many- 
years  before,  being  used  as  both  a  monastery  and 
a  school,  but  a  thunderbolt  had  once  wrecked  the 
steeple,  and  from  that  time  on  there  had  been  a  super- 
stition connected  with  the  place  and  it  had  been 
practically  deserted. 

There  was  a  light  shining  out  from  an  upper  win- 
dow of  the  monastery,  and  as  the  detachment  drew 
closer  the  Americans  heard  two  voices  high-pitched 
in  anger,  speaking  in  Spanish. 

"  Something  is  wrong,"  said  Ben.  "  One  of  those 
voices  sounds  like  that  of  a  woman." 

"  Sure  an'  it  is  a  faymale ! "  cried  Dan  Casey. 
"  An'  she's  af ther  wantin'  help,  if  I  know  anything 
about  it,"  he  added. 

The  voices  grew  more  distinct  as  they  drew  closer, 
and  Ben  caught  the  words,  in  Spanish :  "  Leave 
me,  you  villain!  I  want  nothing  more  to  do  with 
you." 

"  You  must  give  me  the  box,  Inez ! "  replied  a 
brutal  voice.     "  I  will  not  leave  you  without  it." 

"  The  box  is  mine,  Barnabas  Moval,"  came  in  the 


A   SCENE   IN   A  MONASTERY  59 

woman's  voice.  "  My  father  left  me  those  lands, 
and  you  shall  not  take  them  from  me." 

"  Fool,  the  lands  are  mine ! "  stormed  the  man. 
"  And  if  you  will  not  give  up  the  box  willingly,  then 
I  will  take  it  from  you." 

"  Never ! " 

"  And  why  not?  We  are  alone  here  —  not  a  soul 
is  within  hearing.  If  I  cannot  obtain  that  box  by 
fair  means,  I  will  take  it  by  foul.  Do  you  not  know 
that  the  Americanos  are  in  this  neighborhood,  and 
that  they  have  shot  down  more  than  one  Tagalog 
woman  ?  " 

"  And  you  would  shoot  me  and  let  the  authorities 
suspect  it  was  the  work  of  the  Americanos  t "  The 
woman  gave  a  scream.  "  No  !  no !  you  shall  not ! 
you  dare  not !  " 

"I  dare  do  anything,  Inez  Garabella,  when  it 
pleases  me.  Now,  be  quick.  Will  you  give  me  the 
box,  or  not?" 

"  It  is  mine,  you  know  it  is  mine,  —  and  the  lands 
are  mine,  too.  Oh,  Barnabas,  how  can  you  be  so 
cruel  —  and  after  you  promised  my  dead  father  you 
would  take  care  of  me  —  " 

"Bah!  take  care  of  you,  you  ugly  thing?  No, 
you  can  go  where  you  please  and  do  what  you  please. 


60        UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

But  I  must  and  will  have  the  box.     Out  with  it  at 
once,  or  I  will  shoot ! " 

During  this  conversation  Ben  had  run  into  the 
monastery,  and  he  was  now  mounting  the  well-worn 
stone  stairs,  two  steps  at  a  time,  with  Stummer  and 
Casey  close  at  his  heels.  The  door  to  the  lighted 
room  was  on  a  crack,  and  he  peeped  in. 

The  scene  was  truly  a  dramatic  one.  Standing  upon 
one  side  of  a  table  was  a  woman  of  twenty  or  twenty- 
two,  with  black  hair,  black  eyes,  and  a  face  that 
looked  like  that  of  a  gypsy.  On  one  cheek  was  a 
rough,  red  scar,  quite  spoiling  the  little  beauty  of 
which  she  might  otherwise  have  been  possessed. 

Opposite  to  this  strange-looking  creature  stood 
a  man,  evidently  of  mixed  blood,  in  which  the  Ma- 
layan predominated,  tall,  thin,  with  short  stubby 
hair,  high  cheek-bones,  and  teeth  which  showed  like 
those  of  a  wolf.  He  was  dressed  in  the  uniform  of 
a  Tagalog  soldier  and  held  a  pistol  in  his  hand. 

Both  the  man  and  the  woman  were  almost  breath- 
less, as  if  they  had  been  running  hard.  The  woman 
had  her  hands  up  as  if  to  protect  herself  from  a  shot. 
As  Ben  looked  into  the  room  the  man  raised  his 
pistol  to  the  level  of  the  woman's  head. 


"Drop  that  pistol!"      Page  Gl 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  GUERILLA  BROUGHT  TO  TERMS 

"  Drop  that  pistol ! " 

The  order,  delivered  in  broken  Spanish,  came  as 
a  thunderclap  out  of  a  clear  sky  to  the  man  who  was 
threatening  the  woman  with  the  weapon.  He  gave 
an  ejaculation  of  astonishment,  then  turned  swiftly 
toward  the  doorway,  which  was  now  wide  open. 
When  he  saw  Ben  standing  there,  with  pistol  drawn, 
and  backed  up  by  two  soldiers  with  levelled  rifles, 
his  face  fell  and  paled. 

"  What  —  what  brings  you  ?  "  he  stammered  in  his 
native  tongue. 

"  Do  you  talk  English  ?  "  demanded  Ben.  He 
never  spoke  anything  else  unless  it  was  absolutely 
necessary. 

"  A  leetle,  sefior,  a  verra  leetle." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  threatening  this  woman 
in  this  fashion?" 

"  She  — ah  —  she  is  a  verra  wicked  woman." 

"  She  doesn't  look  half  as  wicked  as  you." 
61 


62  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"Sure,  an'  that's  roight,"  whispered  Dan  Casey. 
"  His  face  before  a  jury  would  be  enough  to  hang 
him,  the  hay  thin  !  " 

"  She  steala  one  box  from  me,"  went  on  Barnabas 
Moval,  trying  his  best  to  recover  his  composure. 
"  She  is  a  verra  bad  woman.  She  has  de  box  in  her 
pocket  now." 

"  But  she  says  the  box  is  hers  —  I  heard  her." 

"Ha!  you  heara  de  talk  we  haf?  She  tells  lies, 
senor  capitan —  lies  !     I  am  one  honest  man,  capitan." 

"  Ton't  you  vos  pelief  him,  cabtain,"  put  in  Stum- 
mer.  "Dot  lady  ain't  no  peauty,  put  I'll  pet  she's 
all  right,  annahow !  "  And  he  shook  his  curly  head 
emphatically. 

"  What  have  you  to  say,  madam  ?  "  demanded  Ben, 
turning  to  the  woman,  who  had  listened  to  the  con- 
versation in  much  bewilderment.  As  yet  she  knew 
not  whether  the  newcomers  would  prove  to  be  friends 
or  foes. 

At  this  the  lady  shook  her  head,  for  she  under- 
stood only  a  few  words  of  English.  Mustering  up 
his  best  Spanish,  Ben  put  the  question  again. 

"He  does  not  speak  one  word  of  truth,"  she 
answered  quickly  with  blazing  eyes.  "He  is  a 
villain,  senor,  with  a  heart  as   black   as  the  night. 


A   GUERILLA   BROUGHT   TO   TERMS  63 

"When  my  father  was  alive,  he  tried  to  get  our  lands 
away  from  him  ;  now  my  father  is  dead,  he  is  trying 
to  make  of  me  a  beggar — yes,  a  beggar.  But  he  shall 
not  do  it.  You  will  help  me,  will  you  not?  I  can- 
not believe  the  Americanos  are  as  black  as  they  say ! 
Surely  you  do  not  look  like  one  who  would  harm  a 
defenceless  woman ! "  And  she  clasped  her  hands 
pleadingly,  as  she  took  a  step  closer  to  Ben. 

"Where  are  the  lands  of  which  you  speak?' 
asked  Ben,  curiously.  The  manner  of  this  strange 
woman  interested  him. 

"At  Biloguana,  many  miles  to  the  north  of  this 
locality.  My  father  had  there  a  great  rice  planta- 
tion, and  also  a  mine  from  which  he  took  not  a  little 
silver.  Friar  Ponprd  was  jealous  of  my  father's 
wealth,  and  he  and  this  wicked  man  laid  a  plot  to 
send  my  father  to  Borneo  and  then  to  confiscate  the 
lands  and  the  mine.  But  my  father  fought  the  men 
who  would  carry  him  off  and  got  back  home  with  a 
cracked  head  and  a  broken  shoulder,  from  which  he 
never  recovered.  Friar  Ponprd  escaped  to  Desdenas, 
and  this  man  hid  himself  until  after  my  father  was 
dead  and  buried.  Then  he  came  out  boldly  and 
protested  that  he  had  had  nothing  to  do  with  Friar 
Ponpr&'s  plot,  but  that  my  father  had  sold  him  the 


64  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

Jands  and  the  mine  and  had  received  pay  for  them. 
He  claimed  my  father  had  buried  the  money  re- 
ceived, saying  he  would  thus  hide  it  until  the  war 
was  over  —  " 

"And  it  is  true,"  burst  in  Barnabas  Moval.  "I 
paid  him  every  dollar  he  asked." 

"'Tis  not  true,  not  one  word.  On  his  death-bed 
my  father  told  me  of  a  will  he  had  made,  leaving  all 
the  property  to  me;  and  how  could  he  leave  that 
property  to  me  if  he  had  sold  it?" 

"  Have  you  the  will  ?  " 

"No.  He  told  me  he  had  placed  it  in  a  box  with 
some  land  deeds  and  private  papers,  but  when  I 
looked  for  it,  it  was  not  there." 

"  Of  course  it  was  not  there,"  came  from  Barnabas 
Moval.  "  'Tis  a  story  made  out  of  the  wings  of  a 
worm.     Do  not  believe  anything  she  says,  cajpitanr 

"  Be  quiet,"  ordered  Ben,  turning  on  the  man, 
sharply.  "  I  will  listen  to  this  woman  first.  He 
was  going  to  take  a  box  from  you.  Was  that  the 
box  of  private  papers  you  mentioned  just  now?" 

"Yes,  sefior  captain." 

"What  are  you  doing  here  with  them?" 

"  I  grew  afraid  to  keep  them  at  home.  I  have  a 
dear  friend  in  Manila,  and  thought  I  would   take 


A  GUERILLA  BROUGHT  TO  TERMS       65 

them  there  for  safe  keeping.  This  man  followed  me 
from  Biloguana  to  Malolos  and  from  there  to  Anti- 
polo.  To-night  I  thought  to  escape  to  Manila,  but 
he  came  after  me,  and  I  ran  in  here  to  hide." 

Ben  turned  to  Barnabas  Moval.  "You  wear  the 
uniform  of  a  soldier.  Why  are  you  not  with  the 
army  ?     Are  you  a  spy  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  capitan,  I  am  no  spy ! "  answered  the 
man,  in  sudden  fear.  "  'Tis  true  I  followed  this 
woman,  for  she  has  that  which  is  mine.  I  am  an 
honest  soldier,  attached  to  the  command  under 
General  Adoz." 

"  What,  that  guerilla  I "  cried  Ben,  for  he  had 
heard  of  the  terrible  General  Adoz  many  times. 
The  man  mentioned  had  operated  around  Malolos 
ever  since  the  opening  of  hostilities,  but  was  con- 
sidered more  of  a  robber  chief  than  an  insurgent. 

"  He  is  not  honest !  "  cried  the  woman.  "  He,  too, 
is  a  guerilla  and  fights  only  for  the  sake  of  looting. 
At  Malolos  the  houses  of  two  Chinamen  were  sacked 
by  him  and  three  others,  and  another  house  was 
sacked  at  San  Isidro,  just  after  the  American  troops 
went  away." 

"  In  that  case  he  is  a  man  worth  capturing,"  said 
Ben,  sternly.     "Men,  make  him  your  prisoner." 


66  UNDER   MacARTHUR   AT  LUZON 

At  this  order  Barnabas  Moval  began  to  rave 
wildly,  saying  the  woman  was  a  traitor  and  worse, 
and  that  the  foolish  Americano  caption  would  soon 
learn  how  he  had  been  fooled.  But  Ben  cut  him 
short  by  stating  that  the  woman  would  also  be  re- 
quired to  go  along.  Then  Moval  was  disarmed  by 
Casey  and  Stummer,  who  tied  his  hands  behind  him ; 
and  the  party  left  the  monastery  almost  as  quickly 
as  they  had  entered  it. 

"  What  will  you  do  with  me  ?  "  questioned  Inez 
Garabella,  as  she  walked  beside  Ben.  "  Surely  you 
will  not  consider  me  a  prisoner  of  war  ?  " 

"  That  matter  will  have  to  be  considered  later," 
returned  the  young  captain,  gravely.  "I  shall  see 
you  safe  to  camp  and  then  to  Manila,  and  there 
my  superiors  will  take  matters  in  charge.  Person- 
ally I  believe  your  story,  and  if  it  is  believed  at 
headquarters,  you  will  soon  be  released." 

At  these  kind  words  the  eyes  of  the  woman 
softened.  "  You  are  kind,  just  as  I  thought  when 
I  first  saw  you,  capitan.     May  I  ask  your  name  ? " 

"  I  am  Captain  Benjamin  Russell." 

"  I  shall  not  forget  you  easily,  Captain  Russell. 
Had  you  not  come  up  when  you  did,  that  villain 
would  have   taken   my  life."     And  she  shuddered. 


A  GUERILLA  BROUGHT  TO  TEEMS       67 

"I  shall  report  his  actions  in  detail,  and  if  he 
is  a  follower  of  this  notorious  General  Adoz,  I 
imagine  it  will  go  hard  with  him.  The  Spaniards 
had  a  price  of  a  thousand  dollars  upon  Adoz's 
head,  and  we  are  just  as  anxious  to  get  hold  of 
him  and  his  guerillas  as  they  were." 

Ben  did  not  wish  to  take  the  man  and  the 
woman  along  on  the  hunt  for  Lieutenant  Gilmore, 
and  after  a  brief  consultation  it  was  decided  to 
send  them  to  Taytay  in  custody  of  Carl  Stummer 
and  a  private  named  Horseford.  As  Barnabas 
Moval  was  bound,  it  was  not  anticipated  that 
there  would  be  any  trouble  on  the  journey,  since 
no  rebels  were  to  be  seen  anywhere. 

This  settled,  and  the  party  of  four  having  moved 
off,  Ben  started  ahead  more  rapidly  than  ever,  in 
the  direction  of  the  field  where  he  had  left  the 
injured  lieutenant.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  locate 
the  spot  in  the  darkness,  and  at  the  risk  of  stir- 
ring up  the  enemy  he  gave  the  men  permission 
to  scatter  and  call  Gilmore's  name  in  guarded 
tones. 

It  was  Dan  Casey  who  at  last  stumbled  upon 
the  lieutenant,  lying  unconscious  a  short  distance 
from  the  hollow  where  Ben  had  left  him.     There 


68        UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

was  a  bullet  hole  in  his  shoulder  from  which  the 
blood  had  been  flowing  freely. 

"Sure,  an'  he's  next  to  bein'  dead,"  muttered 
Casey,  after  calling  up  the  others.  "  Some  feller 
plugged  him."  And  he  got  down  to  examine  the 
wound. 

Ben  was  shocked,  but  did  not  allow  his  feelings 
to  overcome  him.  On  several  occasions  he  had 
practised  the  art  of  first  aid  to  the  injured,  as 
taught  to  the  volunteers,  and  now  he  drew  forth 
a  bandage  he  had  thoughtfully  brought  along,  and 
bound  up  the  wound,  so  that  there  should  be  no 
more  loss  of  blood.  Then  he  applied  some  stimu- 
lants and  did  what  he  otherwise  could  to  revive 
the  sufferer.  But  poor  Gilmore  was  too  far  gone 
to  open  his  eyes  or  speak,  and  only  gasped  and 
groaned  as  they  placed  him  on  a  stretcher. 

"I'll  tell  you  what,  there's  small  glory  in  this," 
remarked  one  of  the  soldiers,  as  they  moved  on 
with  their  burden.  "  Folks  at  home  don't  know 
how  terrible  the  dark  side  of  war  really  is." 

"Right  you  are,  Smader,"  answered  the  young 
captain.  "  There  is  more  work  than  glory,  and  a 
good  deal  of  bitterness  added.  Now  Gilmore  here 
has    nobody   at   home   but  a  widowed   sister,   who 


A   GUERILLA  BROUGHT  TO  TERMS  69 

writes  to  him  constantly.  I  wonder  how  that  poor 
woman  will  take  the  news  when  she  hears  how  he 
has  been  cut  down  ?  "     And  he  heaved  a  long  sigh. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  the  party  returned 
to  the  encampment  of  the  first  battalion.  Fortu- 
nately Surgeon  Fallox  was  with  the  battalion  and 
in  a  position  to  give  Lieutenant  Gilmore  his  im- 
mediate attention.  The  injured  man  was  made  as 
comfortable  as  possible,  and  the  surgeon  made  a 
careful  examination  of  the  case. 

"The  wound  is  not  a  serious  one,  although  he 
has  lost  considerable  blood  and  is  greatly  weakened 
thereby,"  he  announced.  "  His  back,  though,  is 
bad,  and  it  may  be  many  a  day  before  he  is  able 
to  walk  again." 

"But  he  will  eventually  recover?" 

"I  think  so,  although  his  back  may  be  weak  for 
years." 

Ben  found  that  Inez  Garabella  and  Barnabas 
Moval  had  been  taken  care  of  by  Major  Morris, 
who  was  greatly  interested  in  all  the  male  prisoner 
had  to  say.  "This  Moval  is  a  sly  one,"  said  the 
major  to  the  young  captain.  "I  am  trying  to 
pump  him  about  General  Adoz,  but  it  is  precious 
little  I  can  get  out  of  him," 


70  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"If  you  could  catch  this  Adoz,  it  would  be  a 
big  feather  in  your  cap,  major." 

"I  know  it,  captain." 

"Will  you  send  them  to  Manila  at  once?" 

"  Yes ;  they  can  go  to-morrow,  with  the  wounded 
ones."  The  major  lowered  his  voice.  "  Between 
you  and  me,  I  believe  we'll  all  be  going  back  to 
Manila  soon." 

"  Why  ?  because  the  rebels  were  so  slippery  ?  " 

"Yes.  They  don't  want  to  engage  in  a  regular 
battle,  and  it  seems  impossible  to  corner  them  into 
doing  so." 

As  it  was  late,  the  conversation  was  not  pro- 
longed, and  soon  Ben  was  in  the  land  of  dreams, 
sleeping  as  soundly  as  if  in  a  bed  at  home. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  early  in  the 
morning  several  cascos  from  Pasig  were  called 
into  use,  and  two  battalions  of  Washington  troops, 
under  Colonel  Wholley,  set  out  for  Morong,  es- 
corted by  several  small  gunboats.  Morong  was 
vigorously  shelled,  and  then  the  troops  landed, 
only  to  find  that  the  insurgents  had  taken  shelter 
on  the  distant  hills.  A  running  fight  followed,  and 
ended  when  the  rebels  made  a  break  for  the  moun- 
tains, where  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  follow  them. 


A  GUERILLA  BROUGHT  TO  TERMS       71 

In  the  meantime  General  Hall  had  changed  his 
tactics,  and  now  he  drove  straight  through  Anti- 
polo,  and  being  joined  by  additional  troops,  moved 
on  to  Teresa,  a  small  settlement  on  the  highway 
to  Morong.  This  movement  took  the  whole  of 
Sunday,  which  was  hot  and  sultry,  and  resulted 
in  the  prostration  of  many  of  the  soldiers  by  the 
heat.  Near  Morong  the  Americans  came  upon  the 
rear  of  General  Pio  del  Pilar's  wagon  train  and 
captured  some  of  the  stores  and  a  few  caribaos 
and  carts,  but  the  others  managed  to  join  the  rest 
of  the  train  in  the  mountains.  On  Monday  Gen- 
eral Hall's  command  joined  that  of  Colonel  Whol- 
ley  at  Morong,  and  after  a  necessary  rest  left  a 
garrison  at  the  town  on  the  lake  and  moved  back 
in  the  direction  of  Manila. 

At  this  late  day  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  the 
benefits  of  the  expedition  to  Morong  were,  excepting 
that  it  held  the  rebels  somewhat  in  check  and  kept 
them  from  getting  too  close  to  Manila  during  the 
rainy  season,  which  now  came  upon  the  islands  in  all 
of  its  fury,  causing  the  Laguna  de  Bay  and  the  Pasig 
River  to  overflow  their  banks  and  doing  much  damage 
to  the  shipping  both  inland  and  on  Manila  Bay.  As 
soon  as  the  fighting  was  over,  many  of  the  Tagals 


72  UNDER  MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

returned  to  their  old  haunts,  some  putting  on  civilians' 
dress  and  passing  for  amigos  (friends) .  In  the  mean- 
time the  followers  of  Aguinaldo  also  came  back  to 
San  Isidro  and  Tarlac  in  the  north,  while  a  large  body 
of  the  rebels  in  the  south  moved  up  to  surround  Par- 
anaque  and  other  towns  lying  below  Manila  on  the 
bay.  Hostilities  between  the  Americans  and  the  in- 
surgents had  now  lasted  nearly  five  months,  and  the 
end  was  by  no  means  in  sight.  On  the  contrary,  it 
was  admitted  that  Uncle  Sam  must  have  additional 
troops  without  delay,  if  the  islands  were  to  be  paci- 
fied, and  enlistments  in  all  of  our  large  cities  went 
forward  as  vigorously  as  ever. 

On  returning  to  Manila,  Ben's  first  movement  was 
to  see  how  his  brother  Larry  and  his  old  chum,  Gil- 
bert Pennington,  were  faring.  He  found  both  sitting 
up  and  wonderfully  improved. 

"  I  shall  be  out  of  here  in  another  week  or  so,"  said 
Larry,  with  something  of  his  old-time  smile.  "  And 
I  can  tell  you  I'll  not  be  sorry." 

"  And  I'll  be  out,  too,"  put  in  Gilbert,  and  added, 
"  How  did  you  make  out  on  that  last  excursion  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  got  my  share  of  adventure,"  returned 
Ben,  and  sitting  down  he  gave  them  a  complete 
account  of  what  had  happened. 


A   GUERILLA   BROUGHT   TO   TERMS  73 

"  What,  you  met  Jose"  Lupez ! "  ejaculated  Larry. 
"  What  became  of  him  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say.  I  was  glad  enough  to  escape.  But 
I  hope  I'll  meet  him  again." 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  with  that  man  Barna- 
bas Moval  ?  "  asked  Gilbert. 

"  Put  him  in  jail  as  a  follower  of  General  Adoz,  the 
guerilla." 

"  And  the  woman  ?  " 

"  I  think  they  will  let  her  go.  She  has  friends  here 
who  are  ready  to  vouch  for  her  good  character." 

"  It's  a  pity  you  didn't  catch  Adoz  instead  of  one 
of  his  hangers-on,"  continued  the  Southerner. 

"  Or  that  Jose*  Lupez,"  put  in  Larry. 

At  this  Ben  could  not  help  but  laugh.  "  You  want 
too  much  at  a  time,"  he  said.  "  Let  us  see  what  the 
future  brings  forth."  And  there  the  subject  was 
dropped. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
walter  and  si  doring 

«  Walter  ! " 

"What  is  it,  Si?" 

"Answer  me  a  conundrum." 

"  All  right,  fire  away,  but  don't  make  it  too  hard, 
for  this  heat  has  made  my  brain  lazy." 

"  When  is  this  tub  going  to  reach  Manila  ? " 

"  I  thought  you  would  ask  that  question,  Si  Dor- 
ing.  How  do  I  know  ?  Go  ask  the  quartermaster, 
or  the  deck  officer,  or  the  cook.  They  know  more 
about  it  than  I  do."  Walter  Russell  arose  from 
the  deck  and  stretched  himself.  "  Joking  aside, 
though,  it  is  an  awfully  long-winded  trip,  isn't 
it?" 

"  Long  ? "  returned  Si  Doring,  a  thin-nosed, 
bright-eyed  young  Yankee  sailor.  "  I  tell  you, 
Walter,  that  don't  half  express  it.  It's  wuss  nor 
long,  ten  times  over.  To  me  it's  about  a  year 
since  we  sailed  from  Honolulu,  and  five  years  since 
we  left  San  Francisco.     If  we  don't  hurry  up,  by 

74 


WALTER   AND   SI   DORING  75 

the  time  we  reach  the  Philippines  the  war  will  be 
over,  the  back  taps  sounded,  and  everybody  will 
have  forgotten  there  was  any  fighting." 

"  Don't  worry,  Si ;  we'll  see  enough  of  it,  I  reckon. 
We  think  this  trip  long  because  the  transport  Cen- 
tral isn't  the  armored  cruiser  Brooklyn,  that's  all." 

"I  don't  see  any  sign  of  land  yet." 

"If  all  goes  right,  they  expect  to  sight  land  day 
after  to-morrow,"  put  in  a  soldier  standing  near. 
"I  heard  the  captain  telling  one  of  the  lieutenants 
so." 

"  Did  he  say  where  we  were  ?  " 

"Somewhere  off  the  north  coast  of  Luzon." 

"If  that's  the  case,  we  must  be  near  where  my 
brother  Larry  was  once  wrecked,"  said  Walter 
Russell,  with  a  sudden  show  of  interest.  "  You 
remember,  Si,  I  told  you  about  it,  and  how  he  was 
picked  up  by  Commodore  Dewey." 

"Yes,  I  remember.  But  I  can  tell  you,  I  don't 
want  to  be  wrecked."  And  the  Yankee  boy  shook 
his  head  vigorously.  "From  what  I  have  heard, 
the  people  living  in  the  northern  part  of  Luzon 
are  reg'lar  savages  —  used  to  be  head-hunters,  so 
an  old  soldier  told  me." 

"  I  am  anxious  to  learn  how  the  war  is  progress* 


76  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

ing  and  how  Larry  and  Ben  are  making  out.  It 
seems  an  age  since  I  last  set  eyes  on  them." 

"Your  brother  must  be  doing  well,  or  they 
wouldn't  have  made  him  a  captain.  I  wonder 
what  ship  they'll  assign  us  to  when  we  get  to 
Manila  Bay?  I'd  just  as  lief  go  on  a  gunboat, 
for  they  seem  to  be  doing  more  lately  than  the 
big  ships.  They  can  get  closer  to  the  coast  and 
go  up  the  rivers." 

"We'll  have  to  go  where  we  are  sent,  so  far  as 
that  is  concerned,"  Walter  Russell  answered.  "  But 
I  should  like  to  get  on  a  gunboat,  too,"  he  added. 

The  day  was  an  extremely  hot  one  in  the  early 
part  of  June,  and  the  Central,  a  large  transport  of 
the  old-fashioned  type,  rolled  and  pitched  lazily  as 
she  proceeded  on  her  mission  of  transporting  Uncle 
Sam's  soldiers  and  sailors  from  San  Francisco  to 
Manila.  She  had  on  board  a  regiment  of  infantry 
from  a  northwestern  state,  a  troop  of  regular  cav- 
alry, and  about  two  hundred  sailors,  some  newly 
enlisted  men,  and  others  transferred  from  the 
Atlantic  Squadron,  all  bound  for  the  seat  of  the 
Filipino  rebellion. 

Among  the  sailors  transferred  from  the  Atlantic 
Squadron  to  Manila  Bay  were  Walter  Russell  and 


WALTER   AND   SI  DORING  77 

his  old  Yankee  chum,  Si  Doring.  As  Walter  had 
written  to  Ben  and  Larry,  he  could  not  stand  it 
to  remain  idle  while  so  much  that  was  stirring  was 
going  on  in  the  Philippines,  and  he  had  applied 
several  times  for  a  transfer,  the  last  time  with  suc- 
cess, through  the  aid  of  his  firm  friend,  Caleb  Wal- 
ton, the  gunner. 

The  Central,  a  double-decked  tramp  steamer, 
formerly  in  the  Australian  trade,  had  left  San  Fran- 
cisco about  seven  weeks  before.  The  weather  had 
been  all  that  could  be  hoped  for,  and  the  run  to 
Honolulu  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  had  taken  place 
quickly  and  without  special  incident.  At  Hono- 
lulu Walter  had  had  a  brief  run  ashore,  and,  in 
company  with  Si,  had  taken  a  stage  trip  to  the 
Pali,  that  wonderful  precipice  overlooking  the 
Pacific,  where  Larry  was  first  introduced  to  my 
readers,  in  "Under  Dewey  at  Manila."  At  the 
Pali,  Walter  met  the  inn-keeper,  Ralph  Harmon, 
who  was  much  pleased  to  hear  from  Larry  again, 
and  equally  pleased  to  learn  that  the  young  sailor 
was  doing  so  well. 

From  Honolulu  the  run  had  been  straight  for 
the  Ladrones,  with  a  brief  stop  at  the  little  island 
of  Guam,  now  another  of  Uncle  Sam's  new  posses- 


T8  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

sions.  Here  some  fresh  water  was  taken  on  board, 
and  a  few  extra  soldiers  set  down,  and  then  the 
Central  sailed  for  Manila. 

But  now  the  rainy  season  was  on,  and  this  meant 
frequent  storms  on  the  ocean,  and  the  progress  of 
the  transport  was  much  delayed.  When  it  did 
not  rain,  the  air  was  suffocating,  and  more  than 
one  case  of  tropical  fever  broke  out  on  board. 
Once  it  looked  as  if  Si  would  be  taken  down,  and 
Walter  was  very  much  worried.  But  the  consti- 
tution of  the  Yankee  lad  was  a  strong  one,  and  he 
soon  threw  off  the  malady. 

"But  it  was  a  close  shave  fer  yours  truly,"  said 
Si,  when  he  was  around  once  more.  "Don't  want 
another  sech,  not  me  ! " 

"I  guess  we'll  have  to  be  careful  of  what  we 
eat  and  drink  when  we  get  to  the  Philippines," 
said  Walter.  "  Ben  wrote  to  me  that  he  had  to 
be  very  careful.  He  said  one  of  the  men  in  his 
company  almost  died  from  eating  half-green  plan- 
tains." 

"I  never  could  go  half -green  stuff,  Walter.  But 
there  ought  to  be  lots  of  good  things  to  eat  here 
—  if  it's  like  Cuba,  and  I  reckon  it  is." 

"Well,    we'll    know   about    that    when    we    get 


WALTER   AND   SI  DOKING  79 

ashore.  Oh,  how  I  would  like  a  good  run  on 
land!" 

The  days  passed  so  slowly  that  soldiers  and  sailors 
devised  all  sorts  of  amusements  with  which  to  while 
away  the  hours.  They  got  up  walking  and  running 
matches,  high  jumping,  and  dancing  contests,  and 
played  quoits,  cards,  checkers,  and  a  hundred  and 
one  other  games.  At  times  both  soldiers  and  sailors 
had  drills  and  rifle  practice,  similar  to  those  de- 
scribed in  "  Under  Otis  in  the  Philippines."  At 
the  stern  somebody  was  always  fishing,  although 
catches  were  by  no  means  frequent,  for  the  reason 
that  the  Central  moved  too  swiftly  for  the  sluggish 
aquatic  creatures  of  the  tropics. 

"Do  you  know,  I'd  like  to  catch  a  shark,"  re- 
marked Si,  one  day.  He  was  one  of  the  steady 
fishermen,  but  so  far  had  caught  nothing  worth  men- 
tioning. 

"  You  don't  want  much,"  laughed  Walter.  "  Why 
don't  you  try  for  a  whale  and  be  done  with  it  ?  " 

Si  had  an  extra  heavy  line,  procured  from  a  sailor 
belonging  to  the  transport,  and  on  the  day  following 
this  talk  he  baited  up  with  the  best  piece  of  bloody 
meat  he  could  procure,  —  a  piece  taken  from  a  sheep 
which  had  just  been   slaughtered  for   the  officers' 


SO  "UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN   LUZON 

table,  —  and  went  fishing  again,  this  time  at  the 
stern  of  the  lower  deck,  at  a  point  where  there  was 
a  slight  rise  near  the  rail.  It  was  a  cloudy  day,  and 
as  he  had  had  no  luck  on  clear  days,  the  Yankee  lad 
thought  that  this  might  prove  better. 

Walter  had  procured  a  book  —  one  of  Captain 
Marryat's  novels  —  from  the  ship's  library,  and 
sitting  close  at  hand,  he  was  soon  deeply  absorbed 
in  the  story,  which  was  one  of  life  in  the  British 
navy.  Si  fished  on  in  silence  for  nearly  half  an 
hour,  then  heaved  a  long  sigh. 

"Don't  believe  there's  anything  in  this  here 
ocean,"  he  declared.  "Ain't  got  so  much  as  a 
nibble ! "  And  he  drew  down  his  thin  face  in 
disgust. 

"Don't  get  discouraged,  Si,"  returned  Walter, 
looking  up  for  the  moment.  "  Remember  the  old 
saying,  '  Everything  comes  to  him  who  waits.'  " 

"  That  may  be  true,  but  I  ain't  goin'  to  die  waitin' 
for  no  blamed  shrimp  to  tie  fast  to  my  line  and  eat 
up  that  bait.  I'd  rather  give  the  meat  to  the  ship's 
dog." 

Nevertheless,  Si  prepared  to  throw  out  again,  after 
seeing  that  the  bait  was  still  intact  and  fixed  as  he 
wished  it.     But  his  cast  was  bad,  and  his  line  caught 


WALTER  AND  SI  DORING  81 

on  the  under  planking  of  the  transport's  side.  In 
order  to  loosen  the  line  he  had  to  lean  far  over  the 
rail  until  he  was  almost  on  the  point  of  losing  his 
balance. 

"Be  careful,  Si  —  "  began  Walter  on  glancing  up, 
when  of  a  sudden  something  occurred  which  filled 
him  with  dismay.  A  fin  flashed  in  the  water,  the 
bait  was  swallowed,  and  the  line  straightened  out 
with  a  jerk.  The  inner  end  of  the  line  was  around 
Si's  hand,  and  in  an  instant  the  Yankee  lad  spun 
overboard  and  disappeared  beneath  the  bosom  of  the 
ocean ! 

"  Help !  "  cried  Walter,  leaping  up.  "  Man  over- 
board!    Help!" 

"What's  that?"  cried  an  officer  standing  near, 
and  then  as  he  took  in  the  situation  he  called  to 
another  officer  to  stop  the  transport,  which  was  done 
as  speedily  as  possible. 

Although  startled,  Walter  kept  his  wits  about  him 
and  looked  around  for  a  life-preserver.  None  was 
near  at  hand,  and  he  had  to  run  along  the  deck  for 
a  distance  of  twenty-five  feet  in  order  to  obtain  one. 
With  this  in  hand,  he  sped  back  to  the  rear  rail, 
hoping  to  see  his  chum  on  the  too  of  the  water  once 
again. 


82  UNDER   MacARTHUK,  IN  LUZON 

But  to  his  horror,  Si  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  In 
vain  he  strained  his  eyes ;  the  Yankee  lad  was  gone 
—  swallowed  up  in  the  foaming  wake  of  the  trans- 
port, which  had  now  come  to  a  standstill. 

"  I  don't  see  him ! "  gasped  the  young  sailor. 
"Do  you?" 

"I  do  not,"  answered  the  officer.  "Did  he  get 
a  bite?" 

"  I  believe  he  did." 

"  Then  maybe  the  fish  has  taken  the  bait  and  him 
too.  Some  of  the  fish  out  here  are  regular  man- 
eaters." 

By  this  time  the  captain  of  the  transport  was  at 
hand,  along  with  a  crowd  who  had  heard  the  com- 
motion, and  an  order  was  given  to  lower  one  of  the 
small  boats. 

"  Can  I  go  in  the  boat,  captain  ?  "  asked  Walter. 
"He  was  my  chum." 

The  captain  looked  into  Walter's  pleading  face. 
"All  right;  jump  in  and  be  quick  about  it.  Like 
enough  the  poor  chap  has  run  afoul  of  a  shark." 

"  But  the  shark  didn't  come  up  to  the  surface." 

"  Humph !  Well,  it  might  have  been  something 
else.  Come,"  and  in  a  moment  more  Walter  was 
in  a  jollyboat,  along  with  five  others,  four  with  oars, 


WALTER   AND   SI  DOKING  83 

who  rowed  with  might  and  main  for  the  spot  where 
Si  had  gone  down. 

"  See  anything  ?  "  asked  the  youth,  after  the  sailors 
had  been  rowing  for  several  minutes. 

"Not  a  thing,"  replied  the  officer,  who  stood  up 
in  the  bow  of  the  boat. 

"  But  he  must  be  somewhere  about,"  was  the  half- 
desperate  return.  And  then  Walter  added  quickly, 
"  What  is  that,  over  to  the  left?" 

"  It's  the  young  fellow !  "  cried  the  officer. 

"  Help !  help !  "  came  faintly  from  Si. 

"  We're  coming !  Keep  up ! "  shouted  back 
Walter. 

"  Help  !  I  can't  keep  up  ! "  was  the  gasping 
return,  and  then  Si  went  under  again  as  quickly  as 
he  had  appeared. 

"  I  know  what's  the  matter,"  ejaculated  the  officer 
in  charge  of  the  boat.  "  He's  fast  to  that  line,  and 
his  game  is  dragging  him  around."  And  in  this 
surmise  he  was  correct.  Poor  Si  was  practically 
a  prisoner,  and  it  looked  as  if  he  would  be  drowned 
before  aid  could  reach  him. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  END   OF   Si's   ADVENTURE 

"I  "wonder  why  he  doesn't  cut  himself  loose?" 
observed  Walter,  as  the  sailors  pulled  with  might 
and  main  for  the  spot  where  the  unfortunate  Yankee 
lad  had  last  been  seen. 

"  I  reckon  he's  too  bewildered  to  think  of  it," 
replied  the  officer.  But  in  this  he  was  mistaken; 
Si  had  tried  to  cut  the  fishline,  but  in  his  haste 
the  pocket-knife  had  slipped  from  his  grasp  and 
sunk  from  sight.  He  had  also  tried  to  break  the 
line,  but  it  was  both  heavy  and  new,  and  the  effort 
only  made  the  cord  cut  into  the  wrist,  around  which 
it  had  become  entangled  in  a  most  unexpected 
manner. 

The  fish  at  the  hook,  which  was  an  albacore,  or 
what  is  commonly  called  in  Atlantic  waters  a  tunny, 
was  a  powerful  one,  and  kept  the  line  taut  at  all 
times,  even  when  swinging  in  somewhat  of  a  semi- 
circle.     To  haul    back  was    out  of    the   question, 

84 


THE   END   OF  Sl'S   ADVENTURE  85 

and  so  Si  had  to  go   along  whether  he  would   or 
not. 

"  I'm  a  goner,  sure !  "  thought  the  boy,  dismally. 
"  This  fish  is  going  to  carry  me  right  down  to  the 
bottom ! "  But  the  fish  did  nothing  of  the  sort. 
Instead,  it  kept  close  to  the  surface,  so  that  Si  got 
an  occasional  chance  to  catch  his  breath,  although 
obtaining  by  no  means  all  the  air  he  wanted. 

When  the  youth  came  up  and  caught  sight  of 
the  small  boat  coming  to  rescue  him,  his  hope 
revived.  But  only  for  a  moment,  for  instantly 
the  fish  whirled  around  and  began  to  carry  him 
further  off  than  ever. 

"I've  got  to  git  loose  of  that  line  somehow!' 
said  Si  to  himself,  and  began  to  work  nervously 
with  his  disengaged  hand.  But  as  all  know,  a  wet 
line  is  much  harder  to  untie  than  a  dry  one,  and 
it  seemed  to  the  boy  that  the  knot  grew  tighter 
each  instant. 

Suddenly  the  fish  took  a  new  tack.  For  a  brief 
spell  the  line  loosened,  then  came  a  jerk  which 
almost  took  Si's  arm  out  by  the  socket,  and  on 
went  the  aquatic  creature  at  a  madder  rate  of  speed 
than  ever. 

The  course  was  now  under  water  for  a  long  time 


86  UNDER   MacARTHUK,   IN   LUZON 

and  the  poor  boy  felt  that  his  last  moment  in  life 
was  at  hand.  He  wanted  to  breathe,  and  at  last, 
unable  to  stand  it  longer,  opened  his  mouth  and 
gulped  in  the  sea  water.  Then  his  head  began  to 
swim  around,  strange  lights  flashed  before  his  eyes, 
and  he  lapsed  into  unconsciousness.  He  felt  a  sec- 
ond loosening  of  the  line,  followed  by  another  tremen- 
dous jerk  and  a  snap,  and  then  knew  no  more. 

On  and  on  came  the  jollyboat,  those  aboard  hardly 
knowing  in  what  direction  to  head.  Walter's  eyes 
were  cast  to  the  right,  and  the  officer's  to  the  left. 

"  There  !  there  !  "  cried  the  young  sailor  at  length. 
"To  the  right,  and  be  quick,  or  he  will  go  down 
again !  " 

The  rowboat  was  swung  around  with  all  possible 
speed  and  the  rowers  bent  lustily  to  their  task. 
Up  went  the  boat  on  the  top  of  one  billow  and 
then  down  and  down  in  front  of  that  to  follow. 
Walter  continued  on  the  watch,  and  in  his  hand 
he  held  his  pocket-knife,  wide  open  and  ready  for 
use,  should  it  be  required. 

Si  had  gone  down  twice  when  the  boat  came  within 
a  furlong  of  him.  Now  his  body  turned  and  began 
to  sink  again.  Walter  saw  the  drawn,  half-lifeless 
face,  and  the  sight  chilled  him  to  the  very  soul.    Like 


THE  END   OF   Si's  ADVENTURE  87 

a  flash  he  was  overboard  and  swimming  to  his  chum 
with  all  haste.  But  he  could  not  reach  him  and 
had  to  dive. 

"  Foolish  boy !  "  cried  the  officer  in  charge.  "  He'll 
be  drowned,  too.  Cease  rowing,  men,  or  you'll  run 
into  one  or  the  other  of  them."  And  the  sailors  lay 
to,  watching  for  the  reappearance  of  the  pair. 

As  Si  went  down  for  a  third  time,  Walter  caught 
him  by  the  foot.  He  pulled  hard  and  soon  had  his 
chum  in  his  arms.  He  noticed  that  the  line  was  now 
loose,  having  snapped  a  few  feet  away  from  the  young 
fisherman's  wrist. 

"  This  way  ! "  he  cried,  as  he  came  up.  "  Don't 
hit  us  !  " 

"  All  right,"  answered  the  officer,  and  slowly  the 
rowboat  came  up  beside  them.  "Is  he  free  of  the 
line?" 

«  Yes." 

"  Good !  Here,  pass  him  this  way.  That's  it. 
Now  climb  in  yourself.  By  the  look  of  him,  I  reckon 
you  went  after  him  in  the  nick  of  time." 

It  was  no  light  task  to  enter  the  jollyboat  in  such 
a  sea,  and  one  of  the  sailors  had  to  give  Walter  a  hand 
aboard.  "He  isn't  dead,  is  he?"  was  the  eager 
question. 


88  UNDER   MacARTHUR   EST  LUZON" 

"I  think  not,  lad.  But  he's  had  a  close  call." 
The  officer  turned  to  the  rowers.  "  Back  to  the  ship, 
boys,  and  waste  no  time.  This  is  a  case  for  the 
surgeons  now." 

Once  at  the  side  of  the  transport,  Si  was  hoisted 
on  board  without  delay  and  placed  in  charge  of  the 
chief  surgeon  and  his  assistants.  The  medical  men 
rolled  him  over  and  over  and  held  him  up  by  the  feet, 
bringing  forth  a  large  quantity  of  the  ocean  brine 
which  he  had  swallowed.  Then  they  worked  his 
arms,  to  induce  respiration,  and  at  last  they  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  him  give  a  faint  gasp. 

"He'll  live,"  said  the  chief  surgeon.  "  But  had  he 
remained  in  the  water  a  minute  longer,  it  would  have 
been  all  up  with  him." 

"  This  settles  fishing  from  the  rail,"  said  the  captain 
of  the  transport.  "  I  want  to  deliver  everybody  safe 
and  sound  at  Manila  if  I  can." 

"  I  guess  nobody  will  want  to  fish  after  this,"  put 
in  the  officer  of  the  deck ;  and  in  this  he  was  right  : 
not  a  single  line  was  thrown  over  for  the  balance  of 
the  trip. 

It  was  Walter  who  nursed  Si  that  night  and  the 
best  part  of  the  next  day.  Fortunately  the  recovery 
of  the  Yankee  lad  was  rapid.     But  the  remembrance 


THE  END   OF   Si's   ADVENTURE  89 

of  his  experience  with  the  strange  fish  made  him 
shudder. 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  was,"  he  said.  "  But  it 
was  as  powerful  a  fish  as  I  ever  struck,  and  I've 
struck  a  good  many  —  off  the  coast  o'  Maine  and  on 
the  Penobscot.  He  meant  business,  and  if  that  line 
hadn't  a-broke,  I  reckon  he  would  have  carried  me  fer 
miles  and  miles."  Then  he  caught  Walter's  hand  and 
gave  it  a  tight  squeeze.  "  I  shan't  forget  what  you've 
done  fer  me,  old  chap — it  was  so  like  you,  too  !  "  And 
a  look  passed  between  them  that  meant  a  good  deal. 

On  the  next  morning  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that 
a  storm  was  brewing,  and  as  the  transport  was  now 
close  to  Point  Engano,  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Luzon,  and  there  were  many  small  islands  and  dan- 
gerous reefs  in  the  vicinity,  a  strict  watch  was  kept 
and  the  Central  was  put  under  a  reduced  headway. 
Soon  the  wind  was  blowing  little  short  of  a  gale,  and 
from  a  distance  came  flashes  of  lightning  and  long- 
rolling  claps  of  thunder. 

"  We  are  next  to  a  storm  now,"  remarked  Walter, 
as  he  came  to  Si.  "  You  ought  to  be  on  deck  to  see 
the  waves.     They  are  running  mountain  high." 

"  I'll  be  around  by  to-morrow,  Walter.  Are  we  in 
sight  of  land  yet  ?  " 


90  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"No,  but  one  of  the  officers  told  me  that  Point 
Engano  could  not  be  far  off.  They  have  set  a  double 
lookout." 

"I  see  the  Central  is  pitching  putty  well.  I 
thought  I  was  going  out  of  the  bunk  a  minute  ago," 
and  Si  braced  himself  against  a  corner  post.  "  How 
dark  it  is  growing ! " 

"  The  mainland  is  to  the  south  of  us,  and  there  are 
a  number  of  small  islands  to  the  north.  It  seems  to 
me  this  would  be  a  good  place  to  get  wrecked  in." 

Soon  the  hurricane  —  for  it  was  nothing  less  — 
was  upon  them  in  all  its  grand  fury.  The  wind 
whistled  over  the  decks  of  the  transport,  rattling 
the  windows  and  sweeping  many  loose  objects  over- 
board. All  around,  the  ocean  was  whipped  up  into 
a  milky-white  foam,  into  which  the  ship  plunged  and 
heaved,  creaking  and  groaning  dismally.  She  was 
by  no  means  a  first-class  craft  and  had  been  pressed 
into  service  only  because  of  the  urgency  of  the  de- 
mand for  a  transport  just  at  the  time  she  had  been  in 
harbor  at  the  Golden  Gate,  waiting  for  any  cargo 
which  could  be  picked  up. 

Soon  the  lightning  came  closer,  lighting  up  the 
steerage,  where  the  jackies  bunked,  with  its  vivid 
flashes,  accentuating  the  gloom  that  followed.     The 


THE   END   OF   Si's   ADVENTURE  91 

pitching  of  the  ship  became  more  violent  than  before, 
and  those  on  board  had  to  hold  fast  or  else  run  the 
risk  of  having  their  brains  dashed  out  by  being  thrown 
headlong.  Below  everything  was  topsy-turvy,  and 
even  the  old  tars  admitted  that  they  had  never 
experienced  such  a  "  choppy  "  storm  before. 

"  Beats  anything  I  ever  saw,"  said  one  old  fellow, 
who  had  been  a  gunner  in  the  navy  for  fifteen  years. 
"  It's  worse  nor  going  around  Cape  Horn  or  meeting 
a  bender  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  We'll  be  doin'  well 
to  come  out  bottom  side  up."  And  several  equally 
old  sea-dogs  agreed  with  him. 

The  storm  continued,  and  at  noon  only  a  cold 
lunch  could  be  served,  for  cooking  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  transport  was  running  at  less  than 
a  six-knot  rate,  and  the  captain  was  half  of  a  mind  to 
turn  back,  knowing  that  he  must  be  close  to  shore  or 
to  some  of  the  hidden  reefs,  only  a  few  of  which  were 
located  on  the  charts ;  for  so  far  the  nautical  sur- 
veys around  the  Philippine  Islands  have  been  very 
imperfect. 

But  if  the  old  hands  were  sobered  by  the  situa- 
tion, it  would  be  hard  to  describe  the  feelings  among 
the  newly  enlisted  men,  especially  the  soldiers,  who 
knew  little  or  nothing  of  life  on  shipboard. 


92  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

"  We'll  go  to  the  bottom,  sure ! "  groaned  one 
young  fellow,  who  had  come  from  a  prairie  farm 
and  had  never  seen  the  ocean  until  he  had  set 
sail  from  San  Francisco.  "  We  can't  stand  this, 
and  I  know  it.  Oh,  what  wouldn't  I  give  to  be 
home  again ! "  And  he  sank  down  on  his  bunk 
and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 

"  Rouse  up  there,  Charley,"  said  one  of  his  friends. 
"Remember,  you  can  die  but  once,  and  what's  the 
difference  if  it's  drowning  or  a  Filipino  bullet?" 

"  Oh,  don't  talk  so,  please  don't,  Frank,"  was  the 
reply.  "  It's  no  joke,  indeed  it  isn't ! "  And  so 
the  talking  went  on  between  the  pair.  Walter 
felt  sorry  for  the  prairie  boy  and  presently  walked 
over  to  give  him  a  word  of  cheer. 

"  I  don't  think  we'll  go  down,"  he  said.  "  Storms 
like  this  are  not  unusual,  and  most  ships  weather 
them.  The  storm  won't  last  much  longer."  And 
then  the  volunteer's  face  brightened  a  bit,  although 
he  was  still  doubtful.  It  must  be  said,  however, 
that  all  the  volunteers  were  not  afraid.  The  ma- 
jority of  them  took  the  storm,  and  the  violent 
pitching  of  the  transport,  as  a  joke,  and  some  of 
them  indulged  in  a  vast  amount  of  "horse  play" 
in   consequence.     One  soldier  bet   another   that  he 


THE  END   OF   Si's   ADVENTURE  93 

could  stand  alone  on  the  lower  deck  and  thread  a 
sailor's  needle  by  the  light  of  a  flash  of  lightning, 
and  not  only  lost  ail  his  pocket  money  by  the 
wager,  but  also  got  a  bad  tumble  and  ran  the 
needle  well  into  his  thumb.  Another  bet  that  he 
could  stand  alone  and  balance  a  plate  of  soup  on 
his  palm  for  five  minutes,  and  ended  by  slipping 
flat  and  dashing  the  soup  into  the  face  of  an  officer 
who  happened  to  be  passing.  Little  short  of  a 
row  followed,  which  came  to  an  end  when  a  blind- 
ing flash  of  lightning  lit  up  the  ship  from  end  to 
end.  The  flash  of  light  was  followed  by  a  wild 
cry  from  the  deck. 

"  Back  ship  !  We  are  on  the  rocks !  Back  ship, 
or  we  are  lost ! "  A  grinding  and  a  sickening  crash 
followed,  sending  a  shiver  over  the  transport  from 
stem  to  stern,  and  then  the  Central  backed  with 
all  the  strength  of  her  powerful  compound  engines. 


CHAPTER   X 

A  RUN   ASHORE,   AND   WHAT   FOLLOWED 

"  Have  we  struck  ?  "  came  from  Si,  as  he  leaped 
up  from  his  bunk,  his  face  full  of  sudden  fear. 

"  We've  hit  something,"  returned  Walter,  who 
had  not  understood  the  cries  from  the  deck  owing 
to  the  wind. 

Another  bumping  and  a  grinding  followed,  and 
they  felt  the  transport  list  heavily  to  port.  Si 
clasped  Walter  by  the  shoulder,  and  in  the  dark- 
ness each  braced  the  other.  Were  they  going  to 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean?  The  question  arose  in 
the  mind  of  each,  but  neither  put  it  into  words. 

Yells  and  screams  arose,  for  in  a  moment  of  ex- 
treme peril  men  are  very  much  like  wild  animals, 
and  a  mad  rush  was  made  for  the  deck.  But 
hardly  had  the  first  man  come  up  than  he  was 
ordered  under  shelter  again. 

"  Keep  in,  or  you'll   be   hurled   overboard,"  was 

the   advice    given.     "  We    have    struck    a    regular 

cyclone."     The  words  were  caught  up  in  the  fury 

94 


A  RUN   ASHORE,    AND   WHAT   FOLLOWED        95 

of  the  whistling  wind,  which  howled  and  shrieked 
with  the  energy  of  a  demon.  The  rain  swept  the 
deck  in  sheets,  and  but  little  could  be  seen  except- 
ing when  the  lightning  flashed  across  the  storm- 
swept  sky. 

The  minutes  to  follow  were  full  of  alarm  for 
everybody  on  board.  Even  the  captain  could  not 
tell  how  badly  the  transport  was  damaged  or  how 
close  the  ship  was  to  running  on  another  hidden  reef. 

"Make  an  examination  and  report  at  once,"  was 
the  order  passed  to  the  ship's  carpenter,  and  then 
the  water  well  was  sounded.  It  gave  six  inches 
of  water  in  the  bow  compartment. 

The  Central  continued  to  back,  but  when  an 
attempt  was  made  to  bring  her  around,  the  wind 
struck  her  broadside  so  heavily  that  she  nearly 
keeled  over.  The  force  of  the  elements  had  broken 
open  the  doors  of  the  upper  cabin,  and  the  things 
flying  through  the  air  had  smashed  in  a  score  of 
windows.  The  crashing  of  glass  and  the  banging 
of  furniture  added  to  the  confusion,  and  soldiers 
and  jackies  ran  from  one  spot  to  another  not  know- 
ing what  to  do.  On  the  companionway  there  was 
a  jam,  and  several  went  down,  one  man  to  be  extri- 
cated from  the  crowd  later  on  with  a  broken  arm, 


96  UNDER  MacARTHUB,   IN  LUZON 

and  another  with  three  ribs  crushed  in.  This  expe- 
rience on  the  Central  is  one  which  many  volunteers 
and  regulars  will  not  forget  as  long  as  they   live. 

At  last  the  wind  appeared  to  abate  a  trifle,  and 
then  the  transport  turned  in  a  semicircle  and  came 
up  to  head  it.  In  such  a  storm  it  was  foolhardy 
to  remain  near  the  coast,  and  accordingly  they  ran 
due  east,  whence  they  had  come. 

When  the  carpenter  came  up,  he  announced  a 
severe  straining  of  half  a  dozen  planks,  but  no 
serious  damage.  The  water  still  continued  to  come 
in,  yet  not  so  swiftly  but  that  the  donkey  engine 
attached  to  the  hose  took  care  of  it  with  ease. 

The  night  to  follow  seemed  unusually  long,  but 
with  the  coming  of  the  day  the  hurricane  was  a 
thing  of  the  past,  and  by  eight  o'clock  the  sun  was 
pouring  down  its  rays  as  clearly  and  fiercely  as 
ever.  The  ocean  still  rolled  in  regular  hills  of 
alternate  milk  and  greenish  foam,  with  here  and 
there  a  choppy  sea  which  sent  the  spray  flying 
from  one  end  of  the  deck  to  the  other.  The  great 
danger  of  the  storm  was  over,  and  everybody  was 
correspondingly  thankful. 

"  I  want  no  more  of  that  sort  of  thing,"  observed 
Walter,  when  at  breakfast. 


A  RUN   ASHORE,   AND   WHAT  FOLLOWED        97 

"  Nor  I,"  answered  Si.  "  I  reckon  that's  as  bad  as 
the  storm  Larry  and  that  Luke  Striker  encountered." 

"  Just  about.  But  we  can  be  happy  that  we 
didn't  go  overboard  as  they  did." 

"These  storms  seem  to  be  so  much  worse  than 
those  we  have  on  the  Atlantic." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,  Si.  They  have 
'em  pretty  rough  around  the  West  Indies  and  off  the 
coast  of  Hatteras." 

Toward  nightfall  the  transport  came  in  sight  of 
Luzon,  at  a  point  not  far  distant  from  the  cape  they 
were  expecting  to  round.  Here  there  was  a  beauti- 
ful little  bay,  with  water  as  clear  as  crystal. 

"  That  is  pretty,  isn't  it  ?  "  observed  Walter,  and 
then,  as  he  gazed  at  the  hill  beyond,  covered  with  its 
tropical  growth  of  many  colors,  he  added :  "  I'd  like 
to  take  a  run  ashore  there,  if  only  for  quarter  of  an 
hour." 

"  So  would  I,"  answered  his  chum.  "  But  what's 
the  use  o'  wishing,  Walter  ?  "  he  went  on.  "  We're 
booked  for  Manila,  and  we  won't  stop  anywhere 
else." 

But  Si  was  mistaken.  The  ship's  carpenter  had  now 
announced  to  the  captain  that  the  damage  done  was 
growing  greater,  and  that  the  transport  had  better 


98  UNDER   MacARTHUK,   IN  LUZON 

lay-to  for  a  few  hours  for  repairs.  The  chart  was 
examined  and  the  bay  found  sufficiently  deep,  so  the 
Central  entered  it  and  dropped  anchor  fifty  yards 
from  the  beach. 

At  once  the  men  began  to  beg  to  go  ashore.  All 
put  in  a  claim  at  the  same  time.  But  it  was  mani- 
festly impossible  that  fourteen  hundred  and  thirty 
men  could  go  ashore  in  a  few  small  boats  in  the 
short  time  allowed,  and  so  soldiers  and  sailors  were 
told  to  draw  lots,  the  lucky  ones  being  limited  to 
just  one  hundred. 

"  Hurrah,  I'm  to  go ! "  cried  Si,  after  trying  his 
luck,  and  then,  as  he  saw  Walter's  face  fall  he 
added,  in  a  whisper :  "  I  don't  care  much,  and  if 
you  draw  a  blank  you  can  go  in  my  place." 

"  No,  I  won't  cut  off  your  pleasure,"  said  Walter, 
and  then  tried  his  own  luck.  "  I'm  with  you,  Si !  " 
he  cried  enthusiastically.  "  Come,  let's  get  in  the 
first  boat."  And  off  they  rushed.  But  the  first  boat 
was  already  full,  and  they  had  to  wait  for  the  second. 
Soon  the  happy  crowd  on  board  were  landed,  and  the 
small  craft  went  back  for  others  of  the  lucky  ones. 

Previous  to  letting  the  men  disembark,  those  in 
command  of  the  transport  had  examined  the  shore 
carefully  through  their  glasses  without  seeing  a  trace 


A   RUN  ASHORE,   AND   WHAT  FOLLOWED        99 

of  any  natives,  hostile  or  otherwise,  so  the  brief  out- 
ing was  considered  absolutely  safe.  The  men  were 
told  not  to  go  out  of  sight  or  hearing  of  each  other 
and  to  keep  within  gun  sound  of  the  ship. 

"  I  don't  believe  we'll  see  any  of  the  rebels  away 
up  here,"  said  Walter,  as  he  and  Si  ran  along  the 
beach  and  to  the  nearest  patch  of  grass.  "  We  are 
miles  and  miles  away  from  where  they  have  been 
battling,  and  the  chances  are  the  natives  in  this 
neighborhood  know  little  or  nothing  of  the  war." 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  be  too  sure  o'  thet,  Walter. 
These  Filipinos  have  good  runners,  even  if  they  ain't 
got  telegraph  lines,  and  the  word  is  bound  to  be 
passed  around  sooner  or  later.  We  had  better  keep 
our  eyes  peeled." 

"  Oh,  of  course  we'll  watch  out,  Si,  and  I  intend  to 
keep  my  pistol  where  it  will  be  handy." 

The  two  walked  along  the  beach  in  company  with 
a  number  of  others,  and  then  began  to  ascend  the 
hill  leading  up  from  the  water.  Here  the  rocks 
were  numerous  and  the  shrubbery  thick,  but  the 
exertion  seemed  to  do  them  good.  At  last  they 
stood  on  the  top  of  the  hill  and  from  this  point  could 
obtain  a  view  of  several  miles  around. 

"  What  a  beautiful  island ! "   was  Walter's  com* 


100  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN   LUZON 

ment.  "How  rich  the  foliage  is  and  what  a  gay- 
coloring.  " 

"  I  see  some  cocoanuts,"  said  Si.  "  Wonder  if 
they  are  good  to  eat  ?  " 

"  We  might  try  them,  if  we  can  reach  them," 
returned  Walter,  and  then  they  began  to  fling  stones 
at  the  nuts,  since  the  trees  appeared  to  be  too  tall 
and  straight  to  be  ascended.  It  was  great  sport 
after  having  been  boxed  up  so  long  on  shipboard,  and 
when  Si  at  last  brought  one  of  the  nuts  down,  both 
shouted  in  glee.  Walter  kept  on  throwing  until  he, 
too,  brought  down  a  prize,  and  thus  they  kept  the 
sport  up  without  paying  attention  to  the  others  of 
the  party  who  had  come  in  that  direction,  and  these 
men  gradually  passed  out  of  sight  and  hearing. 

"Now  I'm  going  to  see  what's  in  this  nut,"  said 
Si,  placing  the  object  on  a  flat  rock.  He  hammered 
away  vigorously  and  presently  the  nut  cracked  into 
a  dozen  or  more  pieces.  But  alas !  the  meat  inside 
was  wormy  and  sour,  being  far  over-ripe. 

"  Fooled !  "  said  Si,  dolefully.  "  Try  yours."  And 
Walter  did  so,  with  a  result  equally  disappointing. 

"  I  don't  believe  they  are  all  that  way,"  said  Wal- 
ter. "  Let  us  see  if  we  can't  bring  down  some  good 
ones."     And  then  they  began  throwing  once  more, 


A  BUN   ASHORE,   AND   WHAT  FOLLOWED      101 

keeping  up  the  fusillade  until  their  arms  ached. 
Six  other  cocoanuts  were  brought  down,  one  hitting 
Walter  on  the  shoulder  with  such  force  that  it  lamed 
him.  But  the  new  lot  of  nuts  were  as  bad  as  the 
old. 

"Sold,"  sighed  Si.  "And  I  had  my  mouth  all 
set  for  a  big,  sweet  piece,  too." 

"  Where  are  the  others  ?  "  burst  out  Walter,  sud- 
denly.    "  I  don't  see  them  anywhere." 

"They  can't  be  far  off,"  answered  his  chum. 
"  Come,  I  think  they  went  in  this  direction." 

"That  direction?  You  mean  in  this  direction." 
And  Walter  pointed  in  a  directly  opposite  way. 

"No,  I  mean  this  way." 

"  I'm  sure  they  didn't  go  that  way,  Si.  The  last 
I  saw  of  them,  Branwood  was  passing  that  rock." 

"  And  the  last  I  saw  of  them,  Carrington  was  pass- 
ing that  clump  of  bushes,"  returned  Si,  very  soberly. 
"  We  can't  both  be  right." 

"  That's  true,  and  I  think  —  " 

"  That  you  are  right,  o'  course  — "  Si  gave  a 
short  laugh. 

"  And  you  think  you  are  right,  Si  Doring." 

"  Exactly,  and  why  shouldn't  I  ?  My  eyesight  is 
jest  as  good  as  yours,  ain't  it?"     The  Yankee  boy 


102  UNDER   MacARTHUR   EN"  LUZON 

paused  for  a  moment.  "But  don't  let  us  quarrel 
over  it,  Walter.  It's  too  serious.  If  we  can't  find 
the  crowd,  we  had  better  make  tracks  for  the  shore. 
As  soon  as  we  spot  the  ship  we'll  be  O.  K." 

"  All  right ;  the  shore  it  is,  then.  But  in  which 
direction  is  the  shore,  according  to  your  notion  ? " 
And  Walter  gazed  at  Si  dubiously. 

"  That  way."  And  the  Yankee  lad  pointed  with 
his  long  finger. 

"  This  time  I  agree  with  you.  Come."  And  side 
by  side  they  started  down  the  hill,  but  at  a  different 
point  from  where  they  had  ascended.  A  hundred 
yards  were  covered  when  they  found  themselves  in 
an  undergrowth  so  dense  that  further  progress  was 
impossible. 

"We  missed  it  this  trip,  that's  certain,"  said 
Walter,  with  a  deep  sigh.  "We'll  have  to  go 
back." 

"  All  right,  then,  we'll  go  back,"  grumbled  Si. 
He  was  still  disappointed  over  the  cocoanuts. 
"  Wonder  if  we  can't  find  the  trail  we  left  when  we 
came  up?" 

They  went  back  to  the  trees  and  began  a  hunt 
for  the  trail.  Here  and  there  they  found  footprints, 
but  nothing  definite  enough  to  follow.     Then  they 


A  KUN   ASHORE,   AND   WHAT  FOLLOWED       103 

tried  a  new  way  to  the  shore,  along  a  tiny  mountain 
stream,  which  bubbled  and  dashed  over  a  series  of 
moss-grown  rocks. 

The  stream  led  around  the  edge  of  a  small  cliff, 
and  here  the  undergrowth  was  as  thick  as  that 
before  encountered.  But  what  surprised  the  lads 
more  than  anything  was  the  sight  of  a  nipa  hut,  set 
up  against  the  cliff. 

"  Hullo,  a  hut !  "  cried  Walter. 

"  Sure  enough,"  responded  his  chum.  "  Wonder 
if  any  of  the  people  who  live  here  are  around? 
If  they  are,  we  might  —     Oh ! " 

Si  got  no  further,  for  at  that  instant  he  found 
himself  gripped  tightly  from  behind.  Walter  was 
also  seized,  and  a  second  later  both  of  the  boys  were 
hurled  flat  on  their  faces.  They  tried  to  rise,  and 
each  started  to  give  the  alarm,  but  then  several 
war-clubs  were  flourished  in  the  air  over  them,  they 
saw  dark  and  ferocious  faces  thrust  close  to  their 
own,  and  then  followed  several  telling  blows  which 
speedily  rendered  them  insensible. 


CHAPTER  XI 

FOLLOWED   BY  NEGRITOS 

When  Walter  came  to  his  senses  he  found  himself 
in  utter  darkness.  His  head  ached  as  if  it  would 
split  open,  and  there  were  sharp,  shooting  pains 
down  his  back.  He  lay  on  a  dirt  flooring,  and  his 
hands  and  feet  were  tightly  bound  with  ropes  made 
of  tough  tropical  vines. 

"  Where  in  the  world  am  I  ?  How  did  I  come 
here?"  Such  were  the  first  questions  which  he 
asked  himself.  He  thought  of  the  awful  storm  and 
of  how  he  and  Si  had  been  pitched  around.  Was 
this  the  end  of  that  adventure  and  was  he  in  some 
cave  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  ? 

A  memory  of  those  ferocious-looking  faces  so  close 

to  his  own  aroused  him,  and  then  he  remembered 

how  he  had  been  seized  and  thrown  down,  and  he 

gave  a  deep  shudder.     He  was  in  the  hands  of  the 

enemy ! 

*'  A  prisoner  !  "   he   groaned,   half  aloud,     **  And 
104 


FOLLOWED  BY  NEGBITOS  105 

they  have  put  me  in  this  place,  which  must  be  some 
sort  of  cave  !     What  will  they  do  next  ?  " 

A  deep  groan  from  a  short  distance  away  reached 
his  ears  and  caused  him  to  listen  intently.  Pres- 
ently the  groan  was  repeated. 

"  Si !  Si !  "  he  called.     "  Si,  is  that  you  ?  " 

At  first  there  was  no  answer.  Then  the  Yankee's 
voice  was  raised  in  pitiful  pleading :  "  Don't  hit  me 
again !     Please  don't  hit  me  !  " 

"  Si !  "  continued  Walter.  "  Si !  They  are  not 
hitting  you  any  more.     Rouse  up !  " 

Another  groan  from  Si,  followed  by  words 
Walter  could  not  understand.  At  last  the  Yankee 
lad  aroused  himself. 

"  Why  —  er  —  what  in  thunder  has  happened  to 
me  ?  "  he  cried.     "  Oh,  my  head !  *' 

"Si!" 

"  Walter !     Where  are  you  ?  " 

"  Over  here,  bound  hands  and  feet." 

"So  am  I  bound.  My,  but  didn't  those  villains 
do  us  up  for  keeps  ?  " 

"  They  certainly  did." 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Have  you  any  idea  how 
long  it's  been  since  we  were  made  prisoners  ?  " 


106  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"Not  the  slightest." 

A  pause  followed,  and  during  that  time  Walter 
managed  to  roll  over  and  over  until  he  bumped 
up  against  his  chum.  Si  lay  close  to  a  rocky  wall, 
which  proved  that  they  were  in  a  cave. 

"  We  must  get  free,  and  that  quickly,"  continued 
Walter.  "For  all  we  know  our  ship  has  already 
sailed." 

"Don't  say  that,  Walter,  don't!  They  wouldn't 
be  mean  enough  to  desert  us,  would  they  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  One  thing  is  certain,  though : 
they  couldn't  afford  to  stay  here  very  long  looking 
for  us.  The  orders  were  to  proceed  to  Manila  as 
quickly  as  possible.  We  only  dropped  anchor  in 
the  bay  because  it  was  absolutely  necessary." 

"  Well,  if  we  were  free,  we  might  do  something. 
Can  you  untie  my  hands  if  I  back  up  to  you  ? " 

"I  can  try,"  replied  Walter. 

Without  delay  the  Yankee  lad  turned  over  and 
brought  his  wrists  to  where  Walter  could  easily 
touch  them.  It  was  no  easy  job  to  unloosen  the 
twisted  vines,  and  Walter's  nails  were  much  broken 
over  the  task.  But  at  last  he  succeeded  in  freeing 
his  chum. 

"  Good  for  you,"  said  Si.     "  Now  I'll  do  as  much 


FOLLOWED  BY   NEGRITOS  107 

for  you,"  and  he  did.  Then  the  bonds  were  taken 
from  their  feet,  and  each  arose  slowly,  with  more 
than  one  groan  which  seemed  impossible  to  sup- 
press. Si  had  a  severe  cut  over  his  left  ear,  and 
from  this  the  blood  had  flowed  over  his  cheek. 
Walter  was  not  cut,  but  there  was  a  lump  on  his 
temple  as  large  as  a  chicken  egg.  All  their  weapons 
had  been  taken  from  them. 

"If  we  had  a  light,"  said  Si,  "we  might  get  out 
easily.     Have  you  a  match?" 

"No." 

"No  more  have  I,  wuss  luck.  Well,  come  on, 
but  be  careful  you  don't  knock  your  head  off  on 
some  overhanging  rock." 

Not  caring  to  become  separated  in  that  Stygian 
darkness,  they  moved  forward  side  by  side,  each 
with  his  hands  extended. 

"  Water ! "  cried  Walter,  a  minute  later,  and  came 
to  a  halt.     They  had  chanced  upon  a  tiny  stream. 

"  That's  all  right,"  said  Si.  "  We  can  get  a  drink 
first  and  then  wash  our  hurts."  And  this  they  pro- 
ceeded to  do  without  delay. 

"  This  stream  must  lead  somewhere,"  went  on 
Walter.  "  Let  us  follow  it.  Perhaps  it  will  bring 
us  to  the  sea." 


108  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN"  LUZON 

"Jest  the  thing,  Walter.  But  don't  make  sech 
a  noise.     Them  natives  may  not  be  far  off." 

The  stream  was  not  over  a  foot  deep  and  less  than 
a  yard  wide,  and  they  followed  it  with  ease,  around 
a  series  of  rocks  and  then  through  some  brushwood 
into  the  open  air.  Here  they  found  themselves  in 
a  deep  ravine,  a  veritable  split  in  the  hills,  with  a 
jungle  upon  either  side  and  the  twinkling  stars  shin- 
ing far  overhead. 

"It  must  be  about  the  middle  of  the  night,"  re- 
marked the  Yankee  youth.  "  I  reckon  we'll  do  well 
if  we  strike  the  shore  afore  morning.    If  the  ship — " 

"  Hush ! "  came  in  warning  from  "Walter,  and  he 
clapped  his  hand  over  his  chum's  mouth.  He  had 
caught  sight  of  a  camp-fire  smouldering  at  a  distance, 
and  he  pointed  it  out. 

"  Whose  do  you  suppose  it  is  ?  "  whispered  Si. 

"The  natives',  most  likely." 

"  Perhaps  it's  some  friends  from  the  transport." 

"  Possibly,  but  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Let  us  git  a  bit  closer  and  investigate,  Walter." 

Making  the  least  possible  noise,  they  drew  closer 
to  the  camp-fire,  which  had  died  down  until  about 
ready  to  go  out.  Although  they  gazed  in  all  direc- 
tions about  the  spot,  not  a  human  being  was  to  be 


He  made  out  the  dim  forms  of  several  men     Page  109 


FOLLOWED   BY   NEGRITOS  109 

seen.  Evidently  the  camp  had  been  deserted  hours 
before. 

"  I  don't  see  anybody,"  whispered  Walter. 

"  Nor  I.  Let  us  go  on."  And  the  journey  down 
the  tiny  stream  was  resumed.  Soon  they  came  to  a 
little  waterfall,  and  here  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
they  let  themselves  down  the  rocks  for  a  distance  of 
fifteen  feet  or  more.  When  almost  to  the  bottom, 
poor  Si  slipped  and  landed  in  a  thorn  bush. 

"  Wow !  "  he  cried.  "  O  dear  me  !  I'm  bein' 
stuck  to  death !  Save  me  !  "  Walter  ran  to  his  aid, 
but  it  was  not  until  Si's  trousers  had  been  torn  in 
several  places  that  he  was  released  from  his  unpleas- 
ant situation. 

"  You've  made  a  good  deal  of  noise,"  said  Walter, 
quickly.  "  We  had  better  get  along,  or  the  natives 
will  be  following  us."  And  they  started  off  at  an 
increased  rate  of  speed.  But  the  path  was  uncertain, 
and  before  he  knew  it,  Walter  pitched  headlong  into 
a  wet  hole. 

"  Hullo,  you're  as  bad  as  me,"  cried  Si,  and  started 
to  help  Walter  up,  when  he  heard  a  savage  cry,  com- 
ing from  the  top  of  the  ravine,  on  their  left.  Looking 
in  the  direction,  he  made  out  the  dim  forms  of  several 
men,  evidently  natives,  for  each  flourished  a  war-club. 


110  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

"The  Filipinos!"  burst  out  Walter,  as  he,  too,  saw 
the  enemy.  "  Run,  Si,  run,  before  it  is  too  late ! " 
Hand  in  hand  they  sped  down  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain stream,  over  rocks  and  through  the  brush. 
Often  they  plunged  into  the  water,  and  once  Walter 
fell  flat,  wetting  himself  from  head  to  feet.  But 
still  they  kept  on,  until  both  were  winded. 

"I  —  I  can't  go  on  no  further  nohow !  "  gasped  the 
Yankee  youth.  "  I'm  tuckered  out.  Go  on  an'  save 
yourself."  And  he  staggered  up  against  a  near-by 
tree. 

"  We  must  go  on,  Si  —  we  simply  must !  "  insisted 
Walter.  "Come,  perhaps  we'll  find  some  place 
where  we  can  hide." 

Thus  urged,  the  Yankee  boy  essayed  to  go  on. 
But  his  breath  came  short  and  painful,  and  he  stag- 
gered as  if  ready  to  go  down  at  each  instant. 

In  the  meantime  the  natives  were  drawing  closer, 
and  several  of  them  had  leaped  down  into  the  ravine 
and  were  coming  up  in  the  immediate  rear.  One 
stopped  to  shoot  an  arrow  at  them,  but  the  shaft  flew 
wide  of  its  mark  in  the  semi-darkness. 

Seeing  that  Si  could  go  but  a  little  further  at  the 
most,  Walter  strained  his  eyes  to  catch  sight  of  some 
spot  where  they  might  hide.     The  ravine  was  widen- 


FOLLOWED   BY   NEGRITOS  111 

ing  out,  and  not  far  away  was  a  jungle  of  tropical 
trees  and  heavy  undergrowth.  Thither  he  led  the 
way. 

"Let  us  lose  ourselves  in  the  jungle;  it's  our 
only  chance,"  he  whispered,  and  gripped  Si  by  the 
arm  to  steady  him.  But  the  Yankee  youth  could  no 
longer  stand, — being  still  weak  from  his  fishing 
adventure  as  well  as  from  the  way  he  had  been 
handled  by  the  Filipinos,  —  and  he  sank  down  in  a 
state  of  utter  collapse. 

Walter  was  in  a  quandary.  Should  he  desert  his 
friend  and  go  on?  It  seemed  the  only  thing  to  do 
in  order  to  save  himself.  But  a  glance  at  his  chum 
made  him  grit  his  teeth.  No,  he  would  save  Si  or 
be  captured  with  him. 

The  load  was  a  heavy  one,  but  the  excitement  of 
the  moment  gave  Walter  strength,  and  throwing  his 
chum  over  his  shoulder  like  a  sack  of  flour,  he 
plunged  boldly  into  the  jungle.  Fortunately  the 
vines  were  not  numerous  at  this  locality,  so  they  did 
not  stay  his  progress.  The  bushes  scratched  his 
face  and  hands,  but  to  this  he  paid  no  attention. 
His  sole  thought  was  to  put  distance  between  him- 
self and  the  enemy.  On  and  on  and  still  on  he 
went,  his  knees  trembling  beneath  his  heavy  load  and 


112  "UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

his  breath  coming  in  sharp  gasps.  At  last,  unable  to 
go  another  step,  he  sank  down  in  the  midst  of  some 
brushwood,  let  Si  slide  from  his  shoulder,  and  went 
off  in  a  temporary  faint  for  the  want  of  breath. 

The  natives  had  seen  them  enter  the  jungle  and 
now  started  in  pursuit.  But  underneath  the  dense 
trees  it  was  totally  dark  and  soon  they  had  to  come 
to  a  halt.  Torches  were  lit,  and  they  set  about  find- 
ing the  trail  of  the  Americanos.  They  were  Negritos 
—  the  native  name  for  Little  Blacks  —  belonging  to 
that  tribe  which  inhabits  nearly  the  entire  northern 
portion  of  Luzon.  They  were  small  in  stature,  thin 
and  bony,  with  high  cheek  bones  and  faces  which 
were  peculiarly  cold  and  bloodthirsty.  This  tribe  of 
Negritos  number  about  twenty-five  thousand,  and 
they  have  been  aptly  called  by  students  of  ethnology 
the  primitive  men  of  the  Philippines.  In  intelligence 
they  are  not  above  the  better-known  Australian 
bushmen.  That  they  were  at  one  time  cannibals  has 
been  settled  beyond  a  doubt. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  BEACH 

As  soon  as  they  had  recovered  somewhat  from 
the  exertions  of  their  flight,  the  two  young  sailors 
listened  with  strained  ears  for  some  sound  from  the 
enemy  who  had  been  pursuing  them. 

"I  don't  hear  a  thing,"  whispered  Si,  presently. 
"Do  you?" 

"  I  hear  something  —  a  good  way  off,"  replied 
Walter.     "  I  think  it  is  coming  closer." 

Again  they  strained  their  ears.  Walter  had  not 
been  mistaken,  for  now  they  heard  the  breaking  of 
brushwood  quite  plainly.  Slowly  but  surely  the 
sounds  were  coming  closer.  The  Negritos  had  pro- 
vided themselves  with  torches  and  were  following 
up  the  trail  with  all  the  skill  of  dogs  in  the  chase. 

"  We  can't  escape  them,"  muttered  Si.  "  If  only 
we  had  our  pistols,  or  even  our  cutlasses  ! " 

"Let   us   move   on   again,"   said   Walter.      "We 

may  be  able  to  throw  them  off  sooner  or  later." 

113 


114  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

They  arose,  and  fairly  shaking  with  exhaustion, 
managed  to  crawl  on  for  a  hundred  feet  or  less. 
Then  they  came  upon  a  hollow  partly  filled  with 
water.  At  one  end  of  the  pool  was  another  moun- 
tain stream. 

"  Into  the  water,"  said  Walter,  quickly.  "  Remem- 
ber, that  leaves  no  trail."  And  in  they  plunged, 
with  as  little  noise  as  possible,  and  moved  from  the 
pool  to  the  stream  and  then  continued  their  journey 
to  where  there  was  a  small  wall  of  rocks.  Up  the 
wall  they  clambered,  and  threw  themselves  flat  in 
some  high  grass,  worming  their  way  out  of  sight 
like  a  couple  of  snakes.  Then  they  grew  quiet 
again,  hardly  daring  to  breathe. 

With  torches  waving  in  the  air,  the  natives 
reached  the  pool  and  came  to  a  halt  on  its  banks. 
As  Walter  had  said,  water  leaves  no  trail,  and 
loud  were  the  grunts  of  disgust  which  the  Negritos 
uttered  as  they  ranged  around  the  spot,  inspecting 
every  foot  of  the  bank  with  care.  At  last,  feeling 
certain  that  the  Americanos  had  not  gone  deeper 
into  the  forest,  they  moved  down  the  stream. 

Walter  and  Si  heard  them  coming,  and  the  hearts 
of  the  young  tars  thumped  violently  beneath  their 
jackets.     To   run  farther  was  out  of  the  question. 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  BEACH        115 

All  they  could  do  was  to  remain  quiet,  trusting  to 
Providence  that  they  would  not  be  discovered. 

Soon  the  Negritos  were  directly  opposite  to  where 
the  pair  were  in  hiding.  Walter  was  so  agitated 
he  was  afraid  they  would  hear  the  pumping  of  his 
heart.  Each  boy  clutched  the  hand  of  the  other 
in  a  death-like  grip.  The  natives  came  to  a  halt 
within  a  rod  of  them. 

Not  a  word  of  what  was  said  could  either  Walter 
or  Si  understand,  nor  did  they  see  the  Negritos, 
although  the  glare  of  the  torches  was  plainly  visible 
over  their  heads,  throwing  fantastic  shadows  over 
the  foliage  of  the  jungle  behind  them.  The  natives 
were  holding  a  consultation,  and  one  leaned  against 
the  very  rocks  the  youths  had  mounted  so  short  a 
time  before.  Walter  and  Si  were  afraid  the  fellow 
would  climb  up  for  a  view  of  the  locality,  and  pre- 
pared to  make  a  last  run,  if  their  legs  would  carry 
them,  but  the  necessity  for  this  did  not  arise.  The 
natives  moved  on,  and  the  boys  were  left  to  them- 
selves. 

"  Gone,"  whispered  Walter,  as  the  footsteps  and 
the  glare  of  the  torches  died  away  in  the  distance. 
"Thank  God!" 

"  If  only  they  don't  come  back,"  came  from  the 


116  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR  IN   LUZON 

Yankee  lad.  "  We  ain't  out  of  the  woods  yet,  not 
by  a  jugful." 

"  Let  us  move  back,  among  the  trees,  Si.  Per- 
haps we  can  climb  into  one  that  has  low  branches." 

This  advice  was  followed,  and  once  in  the  trees 
the  boys  again  listened  with  "  all  ears,"  as  the  saying 
is.  But  the  natives  did  not  come  back,  and  they 
were  not  disturbed. 

Each  was  exhausted,  mentally  and  physically,  yet 
sleep  was  out  of  the  question ;  and  as  the  night  wore 
along  they  conversed  in  whispers,  speculating  upon 
what  would  be  best  to  do  with  the  coming  of  day- 
light, and  if  the  Central  was  still  at  anchor  in  the 
bay,  awaiting  their  return. 

"  I  am  afraid  of  one  of  two  things,"  said  Walter. 
"  Either  the  transport  has  left  or  else  those  natives 
carried  us  a  long  way  inland  before  they  placed  us 
in  that  cave." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?"  asked  Si. 

"Because  of  the  noise  they  have  made  and  the 
lights.  If  we  were  close  to  the  shore,  and  the 
Central  was  still  in  the  harbor,  they  would  be  more 
careful,  being  afraid  some  party  would  be  out  on 
the  hunt  for  us." 

"By    ginger,    Walter,    that    looks    about    right! 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  BEACH        117 

But  I  don't  think  the  transport  would  leave  so 
quick.  They  must  have  carried  us  a  long  way  after 
batting  us  over  the  head  with  their  clubs.  And  if 
that's  so,  then  we  are  still  a  good  distance  from*  the 
coast,"  added  Si,  ruefully. 

They  decided  that,  with  the  coming  of  daylight, 
they  would  climb  a  tall  tree  and  do  their  best  to 
"  get  the  lay  o'  the  land,"  as  Si  expressed  it.  If 
the  bay  and  the  ship  were  anywhere  in  sight,  they 
would  make  a  beeline  thence,  keeping  their  eyes 
wide  open  for  any  natives  who  might  be  watching 
for  them. 

"  And  if  the  ship  isn't  in  sight  —  "  said  Walter. 
He  did  not  finish,  and  Si's  only  answer  was  a  sad 
shake  of  the  head.  If  the  transport  was  gone,  there 
was  no  telling  what  they  would  do. 

So  tired  they  could  scarcely  keep  their  eyes  open, 
and  yet  so  nervous  that  even  a  nap  was  out  of  the 
question,  the  chums  waited  for  the  coming  of  daylight. 
The  jungle  had  been  very  quiet,  but  toward  morn- 
ing the  birds  began  to  tune  up,  and  soon  numerous 
insects  joined  in,  followed  by  the  shrill  cry  of 
parrots. 

With  the  first  sign  of  daylight  they  aroused  them- 
selves and  hunted  up  a  tall  tree  —  a  species  of  giant 


118  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

palm.  Both  had  learned  the  sailor's  trick  of  climb- 
ing by  means  of  a  rope  slung  around  the  tree  and 
one's  waist,  and  in  this  instance  each  used  some 
heavy  vines  and  was  soon  among  the  lofty  branches. 

"  What  do  you  see  ? "  asked  Walter,  who  was 
below  his  companion. 

"  Can't  see  much  of  anything,  yet,"  answered  the 
Yankee  lad.  "  There  seems  to  be  a  mist  around 
us.  We'll  have  to  wait  till  the  sun  comes  up."  And 
they  did  wait,  with  all  the  patience  they  could  mus- 
ter. Presently  the  round,  red  sun  came  out  of  the 
bed  of  the  Pacific,  like  a  globe  of  fire,  sending  long 
shafts  of  wavering  light  over  the  billows,  and  tipping 
the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  then  the  bushes  lower 
down.  They  were  in  sight  of  the  sea,  and  that  was 
one  comfort. 

"  The  ship  —  where  is  our  ship  ?  "  asked  Walter, 
impatiently.  Not  a  sail  of  any  kind  was  visible. 
Their  hearts  dropped  in  their  bosoms  like  lumps 
of  lead. 

"  Deserted  —  "  began  Si,  and  then  gave  another 
look  to  seaward.  "  Walter,  we've  made  a  mistake. 
That  bay  yonder  is  not  the  one  at  which  we  landed. 
We  must  be  to  the  eastward  of  the  cape." 

"  Then  where  is  the  other  bay?  further  westward?" 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  BEACH        119 

"Yes.  We'll  have  to  try  another  tree,  or  work 
our  way  to  the  other  side  of  this  hill.  Come." 
And  they  lost  no  time  in  descending  to  the  ground. 

Both  were  tremendously  hungry,  but  there  was 
nothing  at  hand  with  which  to  satisfy  the  cravings 
of  their  stomachs,  and  neither  was  inclined  to  waste 
time  in  hunting  something  up.  "  The  ship  —  let  us 
get  back  to  that,  and  we'll  have  all  we  want  to 
eat,"  said  Walter,  and  Si  agreed  with  him. 

To  work  their  way  around  the  hillside  was  not 
easy,  for  here  the  long  and  entangling  vines  were 
again  in  evidence,  while  at  some  points  the  under- 
growth was  so  thick  they  could  not  see  a  dozen  feet 
in  front  of  them. 

"This  must  be  like  the  jungles  Ben  mentioned 
in  his  letter,"  said  Walter.  "  He  told  me  they  were 
ten  times  worse  than  those  in  Cuba,  and  he  is  right. 
An  army  couldn't  get  through  a  mile  of  this  in  a 
week." 

"  How  far  do  you  reckon  we  are  from  the  battle- 
fields he  mentioned?" 

"  Oh,  a  good  many  miles,  Si  —  probably  over  two 
hundred." 

"Those  rascals  didn't  look  like  much  of  fighters 
—  I  mean  soldiers." 


120  UNDER  MacAETHUK,   IN   LUZON 

"No,  they  looked  more  like  savage  negroes." 

"But  we  don't  want  to  fall  into  their  hands. 
They  mean  business,  —  or  they  wouldn't  have  at- 
tacked us  as  they  did  and  made  us  prisoners." 

So  the  conversation  ran  on,  until,  an  hour  later, 
Si  proposed  they  mount  another  tree.  This  was 
not  difficult,  for  all  of  the  trees  in  that  vicinity 
were  well  provided  with  low-drooping  branches.  Up 
they  went  to  the  top,  and  Walter,  who  was  now 
ahead,  gave  a  subdued  shout  of  joy. 

"The  ship!" 

"Sure?"  queried  Si,  and  pushed  up  beside  him. 
"  You  are  right,  and  the  sooner  we  get  to  her,  the 
better." 

They  had  reached  a  point  where  they  could  see 
far  to  the  northwest  of  their  former  position.  Here 
was  the  beautiful  bay  where  they  had  come  ashore, 
and  there  lay  the  Central  at  anchor,  as  peacefully 
as  ever.  The  sight  of  the  transport  was  to  them 
like  a  sight  of  home. 

"  How  far  off  do  you  think  she  is  ?  "  began  Walter, 
when  a  number  of  shots  rang  out,  cutting  short  his 
question.  The  shots  came  from  the  woods  fronting 
the  bay,  and  soon  they  saw  the  smoke  rising  among 
the  trees.     Then  out  on  the  beach  ran  a  number  of 


THE  BATTLE  ON  THE  BEACH        121 

soldiers,  and  waved  their  arms  wildly  toward  the 
ship. 

"  Our  men ! "  gasped  Si.  "  And  them  infernal 
savages  air  a-followin'  o'  'em ! "  He  was  greatly 
excited,  and  this  caused  him  to  drop  back  to  his 
old-time  dialect. 

"  You  are  right ! "  burst  from  Walter's  lips. 
"  Six,  eight,  nine  of  them !  They  are  having  a 
hot  time  of  it.  Do  you  suppose  they  have  been 
ashore  looking  for  us?" 

"  More'n  likely.  See,  they  are  firing  again,  — 
and  there  come  the  savages,  two  or  three  dozen 
strong.     What  can  it  mean?" 

Neither  knew,  and  breathlessly  they  watched  the 
contest  from  afar.  The  soldiers  emptied  their 
weapons  as  rapidly  as  ever,  while  the  Negritos 
sent  volley  after  volley  into  their  ranks,  killing 
one  man  and  wounding  two  others. 

A  small  boat  was  now  seen  to  put  off  from  the 
transport,  filled  with  soldiers,  who  began  to  shoot 
as  they  advanced.  A  gun  on  the  Central  was  also 
brought  to  bear  on  the  natives,  and  the  low  boom 
of  the  weapon  echoed  and  reechoed  across  the  hills 
behind  the  two  boys  who  watched  the  battle  so 
eagerly.      The   cannon  shot  brought  down   several 


122  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

Negritos,  and  for  the  minute  the  rest  were  paralyzed 
with  fear  and  ran  for  the  shelter  of  the  trees. 

"  Good !  "  shouted  Si,  enthusiastically.  "  Give  it 
to  the  beggars  !  Wipe  'em  out ! "  And  his  face 
beamed  with  pleasure. 

But  the  natives  were  not  yet  beaten,  and  as  the 
boat  from  the  transport  touched  the  beach,  a  larger 
band  than  before  dashed  out  on  the  sands,  and  a 
fierce  hand-to-hand  encounter  ensued,  in  which  sev- 
eral on  both  sides  went  down.  But  finally  the 
Negritos  were  beaten  back,  up  the  beach,  and  then 
another  shot  from  the  ship,  followed  by  a  shell, 
put  them  to  flight.  By  this  time  the  Americans 
had  had  enough  of  the  encounter,  and  all  made  a 
rush  for  the  boat,  carrying  the  wounded  with  them. 
Some  could  not  get  aboard,  but  had  to  hold  on  to 
the  gunwale,  and  thus  the  rowboat  put  off  for  the 
ship. 

No  sooner  had  the  boat  left  the  shore  than  the 
natives  came  out  a  third  time,  and  arrow  after 
arrow  was  sent  after  the  craft,  but  with  uncertain 
results.  Soon,  however,  the  rowboat  was  out  of 
range,  and  then  more  shots  from  the  ship  caused 
a  wild  scamper  of  the  Negritos  to  shelter. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

HUNTING   UP   A   SUPPER 

"That's  a  sort  of  a  drawn  battle,"  remarked 
Walter,  as  they  watched  the  soldiers  clambering 
aboard  the  transport. 

"  Looks  to  me  like  we  had  the  worst  of  it," 
answered  Si.  "  But  the  question  is,  what  are  we 
to  do  ?  We  want  to  jine  the  ship,  but  how  can  we 
with  those  rascals  all  around  the  shore  of  the  bay  ?  " 

Walter's  face  fell.  "I  never  thought  of  that, 
Si !     But  we  must  get  on  board  somehow." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  but  how  ?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

"We  might  wait  till  nightfall  and  try  sneaking 
aboard  in  the  dark,  if  — " 

"If  the  ship  doesn't  leave  in  the  meantime." 
Walter's  heart  began  to  beat  rapidly.  "  Si,  do  you 
think  they  will  leave  us  ?  " 

"  They  may  think  us  dead  —  shot  down  by  those 

rascals  with  their  silent  arrows.     They  have  killed 

two  or  three  of  our  men  already." 

123 


124  UNDER   MacARTHUR   EST  LUZON 

"  Can't  we  signal  them  ?  " 

"  That's  an  idea.  I'll  fly  my  shirt  to  the  breeze." 
And  in  a  jiffy  the  Yankee  lad  had  the  garment  off 
and  was  waving  it  frantically  with  one  hand  while 
holding  on  to  the  treetop  with  the  other.  But  if 
the  signal  was  seen,  no  answer  came  back. 

Quarter  of  an  hour  passed,  and  the  boys  waited 
in  the  tree,  undecided  what  to  do  next.  If  they 
tried  for  the  shore,  both  felt  they  were  more  than 
certain  to  play  directly  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.      And  yet  to  remain  quiet  was  maddening. 

"  Let  us  go  down  and  move  forward,  but  with 
every  possible  caution,"  was  Walter's  advice.  "  If 
we  remain  here,  we'll  surely  be  left,  and  I  must 
have  something  to  eat  sooner  or  later." 

Si  donned  his  shirt,  and  they  climbed  to  the 
ground.  They  had  the  location  of  the  bay  now 
well  in  mind  and  took  as  direct  a  path  as  the 
growth  of  the  jungle  afforded. 

It  was  a  clear  day  and  exceedingly  hot,  and 
their  exertions  soon  put  both  in  a  dripping  per- 
spiration. Yet  they  pressed  on,  only  stopping  at 
a  tiny  stream  to  obtain  a  drink  and  wet  their 
throbbing  heads. 

At  last   the   jungle   was   passed,  and   they  came 


HUNTING  UP   A   SUPPER  125 

to  an  opening  overgrown  with  coarse  Philippine 
"cow"  grass,  three  to  four  feet  high  and  as  tough 
as  cornstalks.  Beyond  this  field  was  the  wood 
skirting  the  beach  of  the  bay  where  the  Central 
was  riding  at  anchor. 

"Let  us  go  around  this  field,"  suggested  Walter. 
"  We  can  then  come  up  in  an  opposite  direction 
to  that  from  which  the  natives  appeared."  And  Si 
agreed.  But  the  going  around  took  time,  the  sun 
blazed  down  more  fiercely  than  ever,  and  both  were 
all  but  sunstruck  in  consequence.  At  the  edge  of 
the  wood  they  had  to  sit  down  to  rest. 

Presently  a  shouting  reached  their  ears,  coming 
from  the  end  of  the  wood,  where  one  of  the 
mountain  streams  emptied  itself  into  the  bay.  To 
find  out  what  new  movement  was  on  foot,  they 
climbed  a  tall  tree  growing  near,  and  made  out  a 
long  canoe,  which  the  Negritos  had  brought  forth 
from  the  bushes  beside  the  stream.  The  canoe  was 
launched  in  the  stream,  and  fully  a  score  of  natives 
began  to  push  the  craft  toward  the  bay. 

"They  haven't  given  up  the  fight  yet,"  whis- 
pered Walter.  "  I  believe  they  are  really  going  to 
row  over  to  the  transport." 

"  Well,  if  they  do,  they'll  be  blown  sky-high,"  an- 


126  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN   LTJZON 

swered  Si,  and  he  could  not  help  but  chuckle  over 
the  idea. 

The  canoe  was  scarcely  out  of  sight  when  another 
band  of  the  natives  appeared  and  brought  forth  a 
second  craft,  similar  to  the  first.  Then  came  a 
third,  a  fourth,  and  finally  a  fifth. 

"By  ginger,  this  is  gettin'  powerful  interesting; 
eh,  Walter  ? "  Si  managed  to  gasp.  "  Five  on  'em, 
and  each  manned  by  twenty  or  thirty  of  the  heath- 
ins.    They  mean  to  attack  the  transport  in  earnest." 

"But  they'll  be  certain  to  get  the  worst  of  it," 
replied  Walter. 

From  the  position  they  occupied  they  could  not 
see  the  Central,  and  so  as  quickly  as  possible  they 
shifted  to  another.  By  this  time,  the  canoes  were 
floating  in  the  bay,  each  loaded  with  natives  armed 
principally  with  bows  and  arrows,  although  here 
and  there  a  gun  of  ancient  pattern  was  to  be  seen, 
generally  in  the  hands  of  a  man  who  was  some- 
thing of  a  chief. 

"  There  they  go  for  the  transport,"  cried  Walter. 

"  Yes,  and  there  is  a  first  shot  to  salute  them," 
added  Si,  as  a  cannon  boomed  out.  But  those  in 
the  canoe  were  on  guard,  and  moved  hither  and 
thither  so  quickly  that  the  shot   missed  its  mark. 


HUNTING   UP   A   SUPPER  127 

Then  came  several  shots  from  the  canoes  which 
filled  the  boys  with  surprise. 

Among  the  natives  of  some  parts  of  the  Philip- 
pines fire-arrows,  as  they  are  termed,  are  of  common 
use  in  warfare,  and  the  Negritos  were  now  making 
use  of  these.  Each  arrow  sent  toward  the  Central 
had  attached  to  it  a  bundle  of  feathers  saturated 
with  pitch  or  with  the  highly  aromatic  turpentine  of 
the  Malaysian  turpentine  tree,  and  all  blazing  fiercely. 

The  arrows  fell  on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  on  the 
superstructure,  and  caught  in  the  rigging,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  some  of  the  well-tarred  ropes  on 
board  were  spurting  up  into  a  lively  blaze.  The 
fire  brigade  was  called  out  and  set  to  work,  but 
the  burning  arrows  kept  coming  in  a  shower,  and 
several  workers  were  hit  with  them.  Then  a  can- 
non shot  crashed  into  one  of  the  canoes  and  sank 
it;  but  the  novel  bombardment  of  the  Negritos 
continued. 

"  They  are  plucky,  no  use  o'  talking,"  was  Si's 
comment.    "  Didn't  really  think  they  had  the  nerve." 

"  Look  !  look  !  "  almost  screamed  Walter.  "  The 
ship  is  turning  about !  She  is  going  to  leave  the 
bay!" 

"Leave!"  ejaculated  Si.     "Leave  us!     No!  no!" 


128  UNDER   MacARTHUB,   IN  LUZON 

"  It's  true  !     Look  for  yourself ! " 

They  did  look  —  their  eyes  staring  almost  from 
their  sockets.  Walter  was  right;  the  Central  had 
pulled  up  her  anchors,  and  now  the  transport  was 
moving  slowly  out  into  the  broad  ocean. 

"  They  are  going  to  desert  us  ! "  groaned  "Walter. 
"Si,  what  shall  we  do?" 

"We  must  try  to  signal  'em,"  answered  the 
Yankee  lad,  and  again  he  started  to  use  his  white 
shirt  as  a  signal;  but  the  ship  kept  to  her  course, 
and  in  half  an  hour  disappeared  around  a  distant 
headland. 

The  feelings  of  the  young  sailors  can  be  better 
imagined  than  described.  Deserted!  It  was  the 
one  word  to  use.  Left  to  their  fate  on  that  wild, 
rocky  shore  where  the  natives  were  known  to  be 
their  enemies.  With  blanched  faces,  each  looked 
at  the  other  —  with  a  heart  so  full  that  no  words 
could  do  justice  to  the  feelings. 

The  natives  followed  the  transport  for  a  short 
distance  only,  then,  seeing  the  folly  of  trying  to 
catch  up  with  the  ship,  they  let  out  a  ringing  yell 
of  defiance  and  returned  to  the  shore.  Soon  their 
long  canoes  were  hauled  back  up  the  little  river, 
and  the  Negritos  disappeared  from  view. 


HUNTING   UP   A   SUPPER  129 

"We  might  as  well  get  to  the  ground,"  said 
Walter,  at  last.  "There  is  no  use  of  remaining 
here  any  longer." 

Si  nodded,  and  they  descended  quietly,  to  sit 
close  to  the  tree  trunk,  hopeless,  and  in  no  humor 
for  talking.  They  were  now  more  tired  than  ever, 
and  presently  the  Yankee  lad's  head  fell  forward 
on  his  breast  and  he  went  to  sleep.  Seeing  this, 
Walter  also  began  to  nod,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  followed  into  the  land  of  merciful 
dreams. 

It  was  dark  when  they  awoke,  a  gentle  rain 
sifting  through  the  tree  branches  having  aroused 
them.  Both  lay  on  their  backs  where  they  had 
fallen.  Si  was  the  first  up,  and  Walter  quickly 
followed. 

"We've  been  sleeping  six  or  seven  hours," 
remarked  the  Yankee  lad.  "Say,  but  ain't  I 
hungry ! " 

"  So  am  I,  Si,  but  I  don't  see  much  of  a  prospect 
of  anything  to  eat." 

It  was  by  no  means  pleasant  to  sit  still  in  the 
rain,  especially  on  an  empty  stomach,  and  they 
began  to  move  about,  hardly  knowing  or  caring 
in  what  direction.     Gradually  they  drifted   to   the 


130  UNDER   MacARTHUR,   IN   LUZON 

beach,  and  coming  to  the  last  of  the  woods  peered 
forth,  to  find  the  spot  deserted. 

"The  natives  have  taken  themselves  off,"  began 
Walter,  when  a  shining  object  lying  not  far  away- 
caught  his  eyes.  It  was  a  pistol  dropped  by  one 
of  the  transport's  officers,  and  quickly  he  ran 
and  picked  it  up. 

"Is  it  loaded,  Walter?" 

The  young  sailor  made  an  examination.  "Four 
chambers  are,"  he  answered. 

"  Good.     Now,  if  we  can  only  find  some  game  —  " 

"  But  a  shot  would  bring  those  Filipinos  down 
on  us,  Si." 

"  Maybe  not.  Anyway,  we've  got  to  risk  some- 
thing, or  starve  —  and  I'd  rather  take  the  risk, 
wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  what  Larry  did  when  he  and 
Luke  Striker  were  cast  ashore  somewhere  around 
here.  They  found  some  fish  on  the  beach,  which 
had  been  cast  up  by  the  storm.  We  may  be  as 
lucky,  if  we  look  around." 

"  But  how  are  you  going  to  cook  the  fish  without 
a  fire  ?  " 

"  We  can  find  some  hollow  and  discharge  the  pistol 
into  some  dry  gatherings.     That  won't  make  much 


HUNTING  UP   A  SUPPER  131 

noise,  and  it's  certain  to  give  us  a  light,"  continued 
Walter. 

With  caution  thej  moved  along  the  beach,  on  the 
constant  lookout  for  the  Negritos.  But  none  of 
the  natives  showed  himself,  —  nor  did  anything  in 
the  shape  of  a  fish  or  other  sea  food  appear. 

"  We're  not  so  lucky,"  remarked  Si,  dolefully. 
"  I  can  tell  you  we  have  either  got  to  go  on  a  hunt- 
ing expedition  or  starve.  I  wish  we  could  strike  a 
bear  or  something  big,  because  that  would  last.  A 
bird  ain't  nothing,  and  four  rounds  ain't  nothing 
either  —  when  it  comes  to  feeding  two  chaps  as 
hollow  as  we  be." 

"  There  are  no  bears  in  Luzon,  and  very  few  large 
animals  outside  of  the  carabaos,  or  water  buffaloes. 
And  as  you  say,  four  rounds  ain't  much,  especially 
when  they  are  bullets  instead  of  doses  of  buckshot. 
But  we've  got  to  do  the  best  with  what  we  have," 
concluded  Walter,  trying  to  pluck  up  a  bit  of 
courage. 

Satisfied  that  there  was  nothing  on  the  beach  they 
could  eat,  they  walked  toward  the  woods,  in  a  direc- 
tion opposite  to  that  where  the  mountain  stream  was 
located.  They  were  approaching  a  rocky  cliff  over- 
looking the  ocean  when  Walter  uttered  a  sudden  cry, 


132  UNDER   MacAETHUR   IN  LUZON 

raised  the  pistol,  took  careful  aim,  and  fired.  A  wild 
fluttering  of  wings  followed,  and  then  a  big  bird 
circled  around  and  around  their  heads,  to  fall  dead 
at  their  feet. 

"  Good  shot ! "  cried  Si,  as  he  picked  up  the  game 
and  made  certain  that  life  was  extinct.  "  "What  do 
you  allow  it  is  ?  " 

"A  cormorant,  Si." 

"  A  cormorant  ?  It  don't  look  like  the  kind  I've 
seen  at  home." 

"It's  the  Asiatic  variety,  I  guess.  See,  he  was 
fishing,  just  as  they  all  do  in  every  part  of  the  world. 
I  caught  him  just  as  he  was  swallowing  his  prey, 
which  is  stuck  in  his  throat." 

"  A  double  haul,  Walter.  We  can  now  have  both 
fish  and  fowl  for  our  supper,"  cried  the  Yankee 
lad,  enthusiastically.  "It's  a  pity  the  fish  wasn't 
larger." 

"If  he  had  been,  the  cormorant  wouldn't  have 
caught  him  —  unless  he  was  trained  to  the  work." 

"Trained?" 

"Yes.  The  Chinese  train  cormorants  to  fish  for 
them,  and  take  them  out  in  boats  for  that  purpose. 
The  cormorant  sits  on  the  gunwale,  and  when  a  fish 
swims  near,  darts  overboard  and  hauls  him  in.     He 


HUNTING  UP  A  SUPPER  133 

brings  in  big  and  little  alike,  and  after  the  work  is 
over  gets  the  little  fish  for  his  reward." 

"By  ginger,  Walter,  that's  the  worst  fish  yarn  I 
ever  heard." 

"  It's  no  yarn,  Si ;  it's  the  truth,  as  you  can  learn 
for  yourself — if  ever  we  get  out  of  this  pickle  we're 
in,  which  looks  doubtful." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  JOURNEY   OVER   THE   SIERRA  MADRE 

Carrying  the  cormorant  between  them,  for  the 
bird  was  as  big  as  a  turkey  and  correspondingly 
heavy,  they  lost  no  time  in  hurrying  from  the  beach 
and  plunging  into  the  heart  of  the  woods. 

"  The  natives  must  have  heard  that  shot,  if  they 
are  within  half  a  mile  of  the  place,"  said  Walter, 
"  and  the  best  we  can  do  is  to  get  out  of  the  neigh- 
borhood." 

Their  walk  brought  them  to  a  small  brook,  and 
following  this,  they  presently  reached  a  hollow 
where,  between  two  large  rocks,  there  was  a  spring 
of  pure  cold  water.  There  was  plenty  of  shelter  at 
hand,  and  this  they  concluded,  therefore,  to  make 
their  temporary  camp. 

The  cormorant  was  speedily  picked  and  cleaned, 

and  the  young  sailors  tied  the  bird  up  in  several  big 

leaves,  wound  with  the  rope-like  vines  which  were 

handy.     Then  a  fireplace  was  made  of  stones,  the 

134 


A  JOURNEY  OVER   THE   SIERRA  MADRE       135 

bird  placed  on  the  bottom  and  covered  with  sand, 
and  they  essayed  to  obtain  a  light. 

"  We  must  get  the  driest  brushwood  we  can  find," 
said  Walter ;  and  this  was  by  no  means  easy,  for  the 
light  rain  was  very  penetrating  and  had  wet  nearly 
everything.  But  at  last  they  had  what  they  wanted, 
and  the  pistol  was  discharged  in  some  lint  torn  from 
the  inside  of  Walter's  jacket.  The  flash  of  the 
weapon  was  followed  by  a  tiny  blaze  which  Si  nursed 
with  tenderest  care,  and  soon  they  had  a  roaring  fire, 
which,  however,  they  kept  well  hidden  by  the  rocks 
and  by  some  sods  they  had  torn  up.  The  fire  made 
the  hollow  fairly  dry  and  comfortable,  and  the  rain 
kept  the  smoke  well  down  among  the  trees,  so  that 
it  was  not  likely  to  be  seen. 

It  was  an  impatient  pair  of  young  tars  that  waited 
for  the  cormorant  to  be  done  baking,  and  Si  wanted 
to  get  at  the  meat  long  before  it  was  finished  accord- 
ing to  Walter's  notion.  The  little  fish  had  been  put 
beside  the  bird  and  both  baked  together. 

"  Kind  o'  tough,"  said  the  Yankee  lad,  when  the 
food  was  brought  forth  and  cut,  or  rather,  torn  up, 
for  they  were  without  a  knife.  "  And  tastes  kind  o' 
salty,  too." 

"I  believe  only  the  young  of  the  cormorant;  are 


136  UNDER   MacAETHUR  IN  LUZON 

generally  eaten,"  replied  "Walter.  "But  we  can  be 
thankful  to  have  anything,  and  I  must  say  for  myself 
that  I  am  so  hungry  I  could  almost  eat  sole  leather." 
And  he  fell  to  with  a  hearty  good  will  on  one  of  the 
drumsticks,  while  Si  gnawed  away  at  the  other.  The 
meal  lasted  for  over  an  hour,  yet  when  they  were 
done,  fully  a  half  of  the  cormorant  remained.  The 
fish  was  more  tender  and  disappeared  like  magic. 

"We  can  save  this  for  to-morrow,"  remarked  Si, 
on  finishing  the  novel  repast.  And  the  balance  of 
the  bird  was  wrapped  in  fresh  leaves  and  rewound 
with  vines. 

By  this  time  night  was  again  upon  them,  and  they 
concluded  to  remain  where  they  were  until  daybreak. 
The  fire  was  replenished,  and  they  huddled  in  the 
shelter  of  the  rocks,  to  watch  the  blaze  and  talk 
over  their  situation. 

"  We  are  in  a  hole  —  no  two  ways  about  it,"  was 
Si's  comment.  "What  to  do  I  don't  know.  If  I 
thought  the  Central  would  come  back  for  us,  I'd 
stay  right  where  I  am." 

"It's  quite  likely  those  on  board  think  us  dead, 
or  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  if  that's  so,  they 
won't  come  back." 

"  Then  we  are  doomed,  Walter ! " 


A    JOURNEY   OVER   THE   SIERRA  MADRE      137 

"I'm  not  going  to  give  up  yet,  Si.  Remember, 
even  if  it  is  over  two  hundred  miles  to  Manila,  we've 
both  got  a  stout  pair  of  legs  and  our  health  — " 

"  Gosh,  do  you  calkerlate  to  walk  that  distance  ?  " 
And  Si's  eyes  opened  wide.  "  Across  mountains  an' 
all,  and  in  the  enemy's  country?  I  reckon  you'd 
have  your  hands  full,  an'  more." 

"Have  you  anything  better  to  propose?" 

"I  must  allow  I  have  not." 

"And  you  don't  want  to  stay  here,  do  you?" 

"  But  think  of  it,  Walter,  a  journey  of  which 
we  know  absolutely  nothing,"  said  Si,  with  great 
deliberation. 

"  We  know  we  want  to  strike  out  south-south- 
west." 

"  And  how  are  you  going  to  do  it  without  a 
compass  ?  " 

"We'll  have  to  guess  at  it.  I  know  how  the 
sun  and  compass  stood  a  few  days  ago,  and  I  think 
I  can  hit  it  pretty  closely." 

"  But  there  are  mountains  to  cross,  aren't  there  ?  " 

"Yes,  this  range  behind  us,  called  the  Sierra 
Madre.  To  the  west  of  the  mountains  is  the 
Cagayan  River,  and  if  we  followed  that,  it  would 
bring  us  about  half  the  journey."  , 


138  uimER  macarthur  in  luzok 

"And  wouldn't  that  land  us  right  in  the  heart 
of  the  rebel  territory?" 

"  I  suppose  it  would." 

"  And  how  do  you  expect  to  steer  clear  of  the 
enemy?     Why,  they'll  gobble  us  up  in  no  time." 

Walter  drew  a  long  breath.  "All  right,  Si,  you 
can  stay  here  if  you  wish.     I  intend  to  try  my  luck." 

"  Don't  git  mad,  Walter ;  I'm  only  lookin'  at  the 
worst  side  on  it,"  burst  out  the  Yankee  lad,  hastily. 
"  Of  course  I'll  go  along,"  he  added  after  a  pause. 
"Ain't  nothing  else  to  do." 

So  the  talk  ran  on  until  nearly  midnight.  Then 
they  heaped  more  wood  on  the  fire  and  turned  in, 
which  was  not  saying  much,  since,  as  Si  put  it, 
"they  hadn't  no  bunks  nowhere."  Yet  they  slept 
soundly  until  far  into  the  next  morning. 

When  they  sprang  up  the  sun  was  shining  brightly 
and  the  storm  was  a  thing  of  the  past.  All  the 
birds  were  singing  gayly,  and  this  helped  to  put 
them  in  good  humor.  The  fire  had  died  low,  and 
after  a  consultation  they  allowed  it  to  go  out,  since 
it  was  doubtful  if  they  could  carry  any  along  with 
safety. 

A  brief  and  scanty  breakfast,  washed  down  with 
a  last  drink  from  the  spring,  and  they  made  certain 


A  JOURNEY   OVER   THE   SIERRA  MADRE       139 

the  Central  was  not  in  sight.  Then  they  set  out 
on  their  journey,  Si  carrying  the  remainder  of  the 
cormorant,  and  Walter  with  the  pistol,  ready  to  shoot 
should  anything  dangerous  show  itself. 

But  all  the  morning  and  well  into  the  afternoon 
nothing  living  came  to  light  but  a  few  birds,  that 
scattered  speedily  at  their  approach.  Once  they 
fancied  they  heard  human  voices  at  a  distance  and 
went  into  hiding  for  several  minutes.  But  the 
alarm  proved  a  false  one,  and  they  went  on  more 
confidently  than  ever. 

When  they  rested  that  night  both  calculated  that 
they  had  covered  fifteen  miles,  —  a  goodly  distance 
when  the  roughness  of  the  country  was  taken  into 
consideration.  They  halted  at  the  top  of  a  small 
mountain,  at  the  base  of  which  they  made  out  a  native 
village  located  on  the  bank  of  a  winding  stream. 

On  their  journey  they  had  come  across  some  nuts 
which  were  sweet  to  the  taste,  and  had  eaten  consid- 
erable of  them,  regardless  of  the  fact  that  they  might 
be  poisonous.  They  realized  that  they  were  in  des- 
perate straits  and  must  take  many  risks.  The  cormo- 
rant had  been  "sampled'"  several  times,  and  they 
knew  that  the  following  morning  would  see  the  last 
of  the  bird. 


140       UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

"  We'll  keep  a  little  of  the  flesh,"  said  Si,  "  and  a 
bone  or  two  out  of  which  to  make  fish-hooks,  and 
then,  when  we  get  to  a  stream,  we  can  try  our  luck 
at  fishing." 

The  journey  had  made  them  sore  all  over,  and  the 
next  morning  Walter  was  so  stiff  he  could  hardly 
start  out  again.  "  That  comes  from  being  cooped  up 
so  long  on  shipboard,"  he  said.  "  It  will  take  us  sev- 
eral days  to  get  our  walking  legs." 

Passing  the  village  they  had  seen  from  the  moun- 
tain top,  they  descended  to  the  valley  on  the  west  of 
the  Sierra  Madre  and  began  the  journey  toward  the 
Cagayan  River,  making  sure,  however,  to  continue  in 
a  southwest  direction.  The  country  was  still  very 
hilly  and  rough,  and  several  times  they  found  them- 
selves in  a  "  pocket,"  and  had  to  make  detours  through 
jungles  and  swamps,  and  over  rocks  which  were  back- 
breaking  to  climb. 

"  I  don't  wonder  the  soldiers  can't  get  at  the  rebels 
when  they  take  to  the  mountains,"  remarked  Walter. 
"  An  army  in  a  place  like  this  couldn't  do  a  thing, 
unless  each  man  went  on  a  hunt  to  suit  himself." 

"  My  idee  is  that  the  Filipinos  will  keep  up  their 
guerilla  tactics  long  after  the  leaders  surrender," 
returned  Si.     "The  half-civilized  ones  are  like  our 


A  JOURNEY   OVER   THE  SIERRA   MADRE       141 

Indians,  and  this  jest  suits  'em.  Well,  they  can  do  as 
they  please,  only  I  don't  want  to  stay  among  'em." 
And  he  struck  out  faster  than  ever. 

They  were  hungry  again,  and  glad  enough  to  stop 
at  a  stream  which  presented  itself,  and  try  their  luck 
at  fishing.  For  lines  they  used  threads  torn  from 
their  clothing  and  baited  their  bone  fish-hooks  with 
the  cooked  meat  previously  mentioned.  But  though 
they  fished  long  and  patiently,  not  a  fish  came  near 
them. 

"  Hang  the  luck !  "  cried  Si,  at  last.  "  I  don't  be- 
lieve there  are  any  fish  here."  But  even  as  he  spoke 
he  saw  a  specimen  of  the  finny  tribe  leap  to  the  sur- 
face, catch  an  insect  which  had  dropped  there,  and 
disappear  like  a  flash. 

"  There's  an  idea !  "  said  Walter,  and  forthwith  be- 
gan to  hunt  up  some  of  the  insects  in  question,  which 
were  not  unlike  our  native  crickets,  excepting  that 
they  possessed  a  double  set  of  wings.  With  one  of 
the  insects  on  his  hook  for  bait  he  crept  to  the  stream 
again  and  threw  in  exactly  where  the  fish  had  ap- 
peared. Swish  !  up  came  the  fish,  eager  for  another 
such  dainty  morsel,  the  line  grew  taut,  and  in  a  sec- 
ond Walter  had  a  beautifully  speckled  prize,  weighing 
all  of  a  pound. 


142  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"  Hurrah,  first  blood  !  "  shouted  Si.  "  Give  me  one 
of  those  critters."  And  soon  he  was  baited  in  a  similar 
fashion.  Walking  up  the  stream,  he  too  threw  in  with 
care  and  was  rewarded  with  equal  quickness,  his 
catch  being  even  larger  than  that  of  Walter. 

The  young  sailors  had  now  learned  a  secret  well 
worth  knowing,  and  they  kept  at  the  spot  until  they 
had  sixteen  fish  to  their  credit,  all  squirming  and 
twisting  at  a  lively  rate  in  a  hollow  into  which  they 
had  been  thrown. 

"  I  fancy  that  is  more  than  we  need,"  said  Walter, 
as  he  brought  up  the  last,  as  plump  a  catch  as  any. 
"If  we  bake  these  and  pack  them  in  leaves,  they 
will  last  us  for  several  days.  Probably  we'll  get  tired 
of  eating  them  before  they  are  all  gone." 

"  Humph,  it  will  be  better  nor  nothing,"  was  Si's 
comment.  "  Come,  I'm  hungry  for  some  already." 
And  then  they  moved  to  a  ravine  which  was  not  far 
away,  where  they  spent  the  whole  evening  in  prepar- 
ing the  fish  and  in  getting  a  substantial  supper.  The 
day's  journey  had  proved  even  harder  than  that  of  the 
day  before,  and  in  consequence  the  boys  upon  retiring 
slept,  as  Walter  afterward  declared,  "like  tops." 

Daybreak  found  them  making  their  way  around  a 
village  with  extreme  care.     They  could  plainly  see 


A  JOURNEY   OVER   THE  SIERRA   MADRE       143 

the  villagers  as  they  moved  about  in  lazy  fashion, 
smoking  cigarettes  and  doing  the  little  work  which 
seemed  necessary.  They  were  now  in  the  territory 
inhabited  by  Guinaanes,  a  tribe  not  so  dark  as  the 
Negritos  and  taller.  This  tribe  numbers  probably 
ten  thousand  souls,  and  it  is  said  that  they  were 
among  the  last  to  take  up  arms  in  the  rebellion 
against  Spain  and,  later  on,  against  the  United  States. 
They  were  deadly  enemies  to  the  warlike  Igorrotes, 
who  inhabit  the  seacoast  to  the  westward,  and  could 
not  be  induced  to  fight  side  by  side  with  them  under 
Aguinaldo  or  any  other  Filipino  leader. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE    ADVANCE    UPON    LAS    PINAS 

It  was  now  four  months  and  a  half  since  hostilities 
had  broken  out  on  that  fatal  February  evening 
between  the  United  States  troops  and  the  Filipinos, 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  conflict  seemed  as 
far  from  a  termination  as  ever. 

The  causes  for  this  sad  situation  were  numerous. 
At  the  start  neither  the  Americans  nor  the  Filipinos 
had  looked  for  such  a  terrible  outbreak,  and  when  it 
had  come,  both  sides  were  somewhat  dazed ;  and  in 
the  war  of  words  which  followed  each  accused  the 
other  of  breaking  faith.  Aguinaldo  insisted  that  the 
Americans  had  started  the  fighting,  and  our  officers 
were  just  as  positive  that  the  rebels  had  fired  the  first 
shots.  The  real  truth  of  this  matter  will  perhaps 
never  be  known. 

After  the  outbreak  came  the  advance  of  the  Ameri- 
cans upon  Caloocan,  Polo,  Marilo,  Malolos,  and  other 

points,  as  related  in  "  Under  Otis  in  the  Philippines," 

144 


THE  ADVANCE  UPON   LAS   PINAS  145 

followed  by  Lawton's  campaign  to  the  Laguna  de  Bay 
and  to  San  Isidro,  as  told  in  "  The  Campaign  of  the 
Jungle,"  and  General  MacArthur's  gallant  holding  of 
his  own  in  and  around  the  railroad  running  from 
Manila  to  Malolos.  Returning  to  the  capital,  General 
Lawton  had  immediately  organized  the  expedition 
to  the  Morong  peninsula,  thus  once  again  driving  the 
rebels  into  their  mountain  fastnesses. 

Many  towns  and  villages  had  been  occupied,  but 
the  American  army  was  not  a  large  one,  and  sickness 
and  death  had  taken,  fully  a  fifth  of  the  men  out  of 
the  ranks ;  and  so  it  became  necessary  to  give  up  a 
majority  of  the  captured  places  simply  because  we  had 
no  troops  with  which  to  garrison  them. 

The  situation  was  grave,  in  spite  of  the  endeavors 
of  the  leading  generals  to  put  a  bright  face  upon 
the  matter.  The  American  holdings  extended  on  the 
north  but  thirty-nine  miles,  to  San  Fernando,  on  the 
railroad.  On  the  Laguna  de  Bay  the  only  garrison 
was  at  Morong,  and  this  was  in  constant  danger, 
because  of  its  isolation,  the  rebels  again  taking  pos- 
session of  Cainta  and  San  Mateo.  The  line  of  the 
city  defences  extended  from  midway  between  Malate 
and  Parafiaque  on  the  bay  shore,  south,  in  a  semi- 
circle to  San  Pedro  Macati,  Taguig,  and  across  the 


146  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN  LUZON 

Pasig  River  to  Caloocan.  The  line  was  much  broken, 
and  in  one  or  two  spots  the  insurgents  frequently- 
showed  themselves  within  three  miles  of  Manila! 
And  this  after  four  months'  battling  to  drive  them 
away! 

With  practically  the  whole  of  the  island  to  fall 
back  upon,  outside  of  Manila  province,  it  was  no  won- 
der that  the  rebellion  continued  to  flourish.  All  the 
natives  were  in  sympathy  with  the  Filipino  soldiery, 
only  passing  for  amigos  when  it  became  necessary  to 
do  so,  and  consequently  any  neighborhood  could  be 
levied  upon  for  support  by  Aguinaldo  and  his  follow- 
ers. Rice  was  plentiful,  and  the  average  native  can 
live  as  well  on  this  food  as  can  a  Celestial.  The  hot- 
headed and  patriotic  but  misguided  leaders  had 
sworn  never  to  surrender,  and  so  the  contest  went  on. 

"  Something  must  be  done  to  drive  away  the  rebels 
on  the  south  side  of  the  city,"  said  one  of  the  Ameri- 
can leaders,  and  on  June  10  General  Lawton  was 
called  upon  to  organize  another  campaign,  which  he 
did  with  the  brigades  under  Generals  Wheaton  and 
Overshine,  which  included  the  regiment  to  which 
Ben  and  Gilbert  Pennington  were  attached. 

"  "We  are  off  again !  "  cried  Ben,  when,  on  hearing 
the  news,  he  told  Larry  and  Gilbert*     *'  And  Major 


THE   ADVANCE  UPON"  LAS  PINAS  147 

Morris  thinks  we'll  have  a  pretty  tough  campaign 
of  it,  too." 

"  Well,  I  am  ready  for  fighting,"  replied  Gilbert. 
"  It  seems  like  a  year  to  me  since  I  was  brought  to 
this  hospital." 

"  It  has  certainly  been  a  long  time  to  me,"  put  in 
Larry,  and  then  he  added  quickly,  "I  am  to  go  with 
you,  Ben,  am  I  not  ?  " 

"  Do  you  feel  equal  to  the  task,  Larry  ?  Remem- 
ber, you  don't  want  to  exert  yourself  too  freely." 

"  Oh,  I'm  all  right,  and  ready  to  give  the  rebels  all 
the  hard  knocks  I  can." 

"  The  Russell  boys  are  born  fighters,"  broke  in 
Major  Morris,  with  a  laugh.  "  By  the  way,  Ben, 
what  of  that  brother  of  yours,  who  wrote  that  he  was 
coming  on  ?  " 

"  He  is  on  board  of  the  transport  Central.  She  is 
due  here  in  a  day  or  two,  I  believe." 

"I  reckon  you  are  anxious  to  see  Walter,"  said 
Gilbert.     "  I  would  like  to  see  him  myself." 

"Yes,  I  am  anxious,"  answered  the  young  captain, 
and  Larry  said  the  same. 

But  there  was  no  time  to  do  much  talking,  for  the 
regiment  was  to  move  for  San  Pedro  Macati  that 
noon,  there  to  join  the  other  forces  to  take  part  in 


148  UNDER  MacAETHTJB   IN  LUZON 

the  expedition,  which  was  being  kept  a  secret,  so 
that  the  Tagal  spies  in  Manila  might  not  carry  the 
news  to  their  friends.  As  old  readers  know,  Gilbert 
was  first  lieutenant  of  Company  B  of  the  regiment, 
and  consequently  his  duties  were  numerous  in  seeing 
that  the  command  was  ready  to  start  at  the  time 
specified. 

"Poor  Gilmore,  it's  too  bad  he's  got  to  be  left 
behind,"  said  Ben,  when  they  were  ready  to  start. 
"  But  it's  a  comfort  to  know  that  he  is  on  a  fair  road 
to  recovery." 

The  start  from  Manila  was  made  on  a  clear  day, 
and  all  the  soldiers  were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  Soon 
the  route  step  was  ordered,  and  as  the  men  strode 
along  to  suit  themselves  Major  Morris  sided  up  to 
Ben. 

"  Captain,  I've  got  a  surprise  to  spring  on  you," 
he  said,  after  speculating  upon  the  results  of  the 
campaign  then  opening. 

"What  kind  of  a  surprise?" 

"  I've  been  talking  the  matter  over  with  Lieuten- 
ant Pennington,  and  he  has  concluded  to  do  as  I 
intend  doing." 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  We  want  you  and  Larry  to  go  in  with  us,"  con- 


THE  ADVANCE  UPON  LAS  PINAS  149 

tinued  the  major  of  the  first  battalion,  ignoring  the 
captain's  questions. 

"But  you  haven't  told  me  what  the  surprise  is, 
major.     Out  with  it,  and  don't  keep  me  guessing." 

"  Well,  it's  this.  You  know  our  time  of  enlist- 
ment runs  out  in  a  few  months." 

"Yes." 

"  Lieutenant  Pennington  and  myself  have  con- 
cluded to  reenlist." 

"  That's  right ;  so  will  I  — if  Uncle  Sam  wants  me." 

"  But  we  are  not  going  to  reenlist  as  before.  We 
are  going  into  the  regular  army  —  if  the  government 
will  have  us." 

"  Oh !  "  Ben  was  surprised  and  looked  it.  "  Going 
to  give  up  the  volunteer  service,  then?" 

"  Yes.     And  we  want  you  to  come  with  us." 

Ben  shook  his  head  slowly.  "  No,  major,  I  don't 
think  I  care  to  do  it.  I  am  willing  to  fight  as  a 
volunteer,  when  Uncle  Sam  needs  my  services.  But 
to  make  army  life  a  business,  so  to  speak, — well, 
that's  different." 

Major  Morris's  face  fell.  "  I  was  afraid  you  would 
talk  that  way  —  and  Pennington  was  afraid,  too. 
But  perhaps  you'll  reconsider  the  matter  when  your 
time  is  out  here." 


150  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"  It's  possible,  but  I  don't  think  so  —  now.  You 
see  I  may  be  a  fighter,  but  I'm  not  a  fighting  man  — 
like  you,  for  instance." 

"  I  don't  see  the  difference,  captain." 

"  What  I  mean  is  this  :  I  am  ready  to  come  at  my 
country's  call,  but  I  am  not  willing  to  stand  and 
wait  for  a  mix-up.  If  you  join  the  regular  army, 
you'll  have  to  remain  a  soldier,  even  if  this  war 
comes  to  an  end  the  next  day,  while  I,  as  a  volunteer, 
will  probably  be  discharged." 

"That's  true,  but  to  me  and  to  Pennington  it 
doesn't  make  any  difference." 

"Are  any  of  the  others  going  into  the  regular 
army?" 

"Yes,  Rexford  and  Corporal  Holwurth,  and  I 
overheard  Stummer  and  Casey  talking  it  over, 
too." 

"  I'll  be  sorry  to  lose  you  all,"  said  Ben,  seriously. 
"We  have  been  close  friends  for  a  long  time,  and 
seen  many  hard  knocks  together." 

"  So  we  have,  captain,  and  that's  why  we  want  you 
and  Larry  to  join  with  us." 

But  Ben  shook  his  head  again.  The  regular  ser- 
vice had  no  fascination  for  him,  although  he  readily 
saw  how  it  could  appeal  to  such  a  dashing  military 


THE  ADVANCE  UPON  LAS   PINAS  151 

man  as  the  major  and  such  a  warm-blooded  fellow 
as  his  Southern  chum. 

"  You  won't  get  any  rank  in  the  regular  army," 
he  observed,  after  a  pause. 

"  I  am  going  to  try  for  a  lieutenant's  commission. 
My  record  is  a  clean  one,  and  I  don't  think  they'll 
turn  me  down." 

"And  will  Gilbert  try,  too?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  I  wish  you  both  success.  But  you  have 
still  some  time  to  serve  as  a  volunteer,  and  a  good 
deal  may  happen  before  you  leave  us,"  concluded 
Ben,  and  then  turned  away  to  give  some  orders  to 
his  men,  who  were  growing  hilarious  and  had  to  be 
toned  down. 

When  San  Pedro  Macati  was  reached,  the  scene 
was  an  animated  one,  for  the  different  regiments 
occupied  a  large  space  with  their  tents  and  camp 
outfits.  Here  Ben  found  many  old  friends,  and  tales 
of  adventure  were  freely  exchanged. 

The  next  day,  which  was  Saturday,  and  one  of 
the  hottest  on  record,  the  advance  began  in  earnest, 
both  brigades  moving  in  the  direction  of  Guadalupe, 
instead  of  toward  Manila  Bay,  in  order  to  throw  the 
enemy  off  the   scent.     The  roads  were   still   in   a 


152  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

frightful  condition,  but  the  soldiers  moved  forward 
with  quiet  determination,  although  the  fierce  heat 
soon  made  many  of  them  drop  from  the  ranks.  At 
Guadalupe  the  two  brigades  separated,  General 
Overshine's  moving  to  the  west,  and  General  Wheat- 
on's  to  the  northwest,  the  object  of  General  Lawton 
being  to  gather  the  enemy  in  between  two  fires. 

It  was  not  long  after  Ben's  regiment  had  left 
Guadalupe  that  a  scattering  fire  was  heard  ahead, 
and  soon  the  report  drifted  in  that  the  Filipinos 
were  strongly  entrenched  along  the  road  leading  to 
Las  Pifias  and  the  bay. 

"We  are  ordered  to  the  front,  Captain  Russell," 
said  Major  Morris,  presently,  and  a  minute  later '  the 
battalion  was  on  the  double-quick  across  a  rice  field, 
with  the  second  and  third  battalions  behind  them. 
Then  a  skirmishing  line  was  formed,  extending 
across  the  field,  from  a  road  on  the  right  to  a  steep 
hill  on  the  left.  The  road  was  occupied  by  some  of 
the  American  artillery,  who  went  ahead,  taking 
"  pot  shots "  at  the  hill  whenever  a  crowd  of  Fili- 
pinos showed  themselves. 

In  the  rice  field  the  sun  was  "sizzling,"  as  more 
than  one  returned  soldier  has  expressed  it,  and  to 
rush  forward  and  then  drop  down  for  a  wait  was 


Forward!"  shouted  Ben  to  his  command     Page  153 


THE  ADVANCE  UPON  LAS  PINAS  153 

sickening.  But  war  is  not  child's  play,  and  the  gal- 
lant upholders  of  Old  Glory  made  the  best  of  it. 

"  Forward ! "  shouted  Ben  to  his  command,  as  the 
order  came  from  his  superior,  and  forward  went 
Company  D  over  the  field  to  where  there  was  a 
small  irrigating  trench,  now  half  filled  with  water. 
The  cracking  of  rifles  —  Mausers  and  old  Spring- 
fields —  was  constant,  and  more  than  one  man  went 
down,  a  few  never  to  rise  again. 

"Tell  you  vot,"  panted  Carl  Stummer,  "of  dem 
Filibinos  keep  on  running,  ve  got  to  go  after  dem 
mit  automopiles,  hey?" 

"  Either  thim  or  trolley  cars,  Carl,"  answered  Dan 
Casey.  "  It's  mesilf  that's  gettin'  tired  av  sprintin' 
like  a  college  athlete  afther  'em." 

Soon  the  command  was  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fighting,  and  then  Ben  and  Larry  got  another  taste 
of  what  this  long-drawn-out  war  meant. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BATTLING   ALONG    THE   ZAPOTE   RIVER 

"  Hike  her  up,  boys ;  don't  give  them  a  chance  to 
reload ! " 

"  Make  every  shot  tell,  fellows ;  don't  waste  your 
ammunition  on  the  air !  " 

"  To  the  left,  boys.  Fire  low.  There  they  go ! 
Now  give  it  to  'em !     Hike  her  up  ! ' 

So  the  cries  arose  as  the  battalion  ranged  across 
the  rice-field.  With  our  army  in  the  Philippines  the 
word  "  hike  "  is  a  great  favorite  and  seems  to  carry 
special  inspiration  with  it.  Soon  they  were  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  field.  The  Tagals  were  at  the 
edge  of  the  jungle  beyond  and  pouring  in  a  hot  and 
steady  fire. 

"  Down !      Careful    aim,    boys.      Now    then,    up 

again !     This  way,  double  quick !  "  and  another  rush 

was  made,  the  advancing  line  utilizing  every  bush, 

rise,    or  hollow   within   reach.       It   was   dangerous 

work,  and  it  needed  brave  men  to  carry  it  on,  but 

no   one   faltered.     Crack !   crack !    crack !    went   the 

154 


BATTLING   ALONG   THE   ZAPOTE   RIVER         155 

rifles,  with  now  and  then  a  dull  boom  from  the 
artillery  on  the  road.  Staff  officers  were  rushing 
hither  and  thither,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  smoke. 
The  hospital  corps  was  now  coming  up,  and  those 
that  were  wounded  or  were  overcome  by  the  heat 
were  quickly  carried  to  the  rear. 

"  Well,  Larry,  how  do  you  feel  now?  "  asked  Ben, 
anxiously,  as  he  ran  up  to  his  brother,  as  the  latter 
was  reloading. 

"  All  right,  but  I'm  as  dry  as  a  fish." 

"  Here's  my  canteen ;  I'm  just  afther  filling  it," 
put  in  Dan  Casey,  and  thrust  the  article  into  Larry's 
hands.  The  youth  was  just  taking  a  good  drink, 
when  crack !  a  bullet  hit  the  canteen,  went  straight 
through  it,  and  landed  in  the  dirt  beyond. 

"  Creation  ! "  gasped  Larry,  and  turned  deadly 
pale  for  the  moment.  "  Wasn't  that  a  close  shave, 
though!" 

"  I've  got  him ! "  burst  out  Dan  Casey,  after  dis- 
charging his  rifle.  "  That  Dago  will  niver  shpile 
another  canteen  fer  me."  He  had  caught  sight  of 
a  Tagal  in  a  distant  tree,  and  his  aim  was  true,  for 
the  rebel  threw  up  his  arms,  let  his  Mauser  fall,  and 
then  pitched  headlong  into  the  tall  grass. 

Another  advance  was  now  ordered,  and  soon  Ben 


156  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

found  himself  in  the  very  thickest  of  the  fight,  with 
Larry  close  beside  him,  and  Major  Morris  and  Gil- 
bert not  far  away,  They  were  hugging  the  side  of 
the  hill,  and  the  rebels,  having  left  the  first  line  of 
intrenchments,  were  scampering  through  the  under- 
brush. Some  were  surrounded,  and  of  these  many 
were  shot  down  or  made  prisoners. 

The  corner  of  a  series  of  rocks  was  turned,  when 
of  a  sudden  a  detachment  of  the  Tagals  hurled 
themselves  upon  Company  B.  Gilbert  was  in  the 
thickest  of  this  onslaught,  and  in  his  eagerness  to 
kill  an  American  officer  one  of  the  rebels  grabbed 
him  by  the  throat,  at  the  same  time  raising  a  short 
sword  as  if  to  stab  the  lieutenant. 

Ben,  from  a  distance,  saw  the  movement,  and  his 
heart  leaped  into  his  throat.  There  was  no  time 
left  to  think,  —  only  to  act,  —  and  like  a  flash  his 
pistol  came  up.  There  was  a  crack,  and  Ben  saw 
the  Tagal  fall  back  badly  wounded.  Then  the 
smoke  of  battle  hid  both  Gilbert  and  the  rebel  from 
view. 

"  Good  for  you,  Ben ! "  The  cry  came  from 
Larry.  The  youth  was  in  a  dripping  perspiration 
and  covered  with  dirt  and  gun-soot.  "  Oh,  but  this 
is  a  great  fight,  isn't  it  ?  " 


BATTLING   ALONG   THE   ZAPOTE   RIVER         157 

"It  is,  Larry;  but  take  care,  or  you'll  keel  over," 
answered  the  older  brother,  and  shortly  after  this 
Larry  had  to  withdraw,  too  weak  to  stand  longer 
upon  his  feet  in  that  blazing  sun. 

Gradually  the  rebels  were  forced  back,  until  they 
broke  and  ran,  some  in  the  direction  of  the  Laguna 
de  Bay,  and  others  straight  into  the  jungle  to  the 
southward.  The  Americans  continued  their  march 
onward,  and  at  nightfall  went  into  temporary  camp 
in  a  field  just  outside  of  Las  Pinas,  which  is  located 
on  Manila  Bay,  midway  between  the  capital  and 
where  the  Peninsula  of  Cavite*  joins  the  mainland. 

"  That's  pretty  good  work  for  one  day,"  said 
Gilbert,  when  it  was  over.  "Phew!  how  hot  it 
was."  He  caught  Ben  by  the  hand.  "I  owe  you 
a  good  deal,  old  fellow." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  you  and  Larry  stood  it  won- 
derfully well,"  replied  the  young  captain.  "  Why, 
ten  of  my  men  were  knocked  out  by  the  heat." 

"  Six  of  our  company  are  down  —  two  quite  badly 
knocked  out,  too.  I  wonder  what  the  rebels  will  do 
next?" 

"  They'll  scoot — as  they  always  do,"  put  in  Major 
Morris,  who  stood  near.  "  Even  such  a  skilful 
officer  as  General  Lawton  can't  bag  them,  it  seems." 


158  UNDER   MacARTHTJB   IN  LUZON 

"  I  heard  through  one  of  the  wounded  rebels  that 
the  notorious  General  Adoz  was  in  to-day's  fight," 
went  on  Gilbert.  "It's  a  pity  we  didn't  capture 
him." 

"  It's  a  pity  we  can't  capture  General  Aguinaldo," 
said  the  major.  "It  seems  to  me  this  rebellion 
would  come  to  a  short  end  if  he  was  taken." 

While  the  fight  was  going  on  through  this  jungle 
and  on  the  hillside,  the  gunboat  Helena  and  the 
monitor  Monadnock  had  been  shelling  Las  Piiias  and 
Paranaque,  and  the  country  between,  continuously, 
trying  to  drive  the  rebels  inland,  into  the  reach  of 
the  army.  Out  on  the  water  this  was  hot  work 
and  drove  many  a  sailor  to  the  hospital  bay.  Cap- 
tain Nichols  of  the  Monadnock  was  overcome  and 
died  of  the  heat  late  in  the  afternoon. 

The  Sunday  to  follow  was  one  of  well-earned  rest, 
and  our  friends  did  little,  but  lay  around  in  the 
shade,  discussing  the  situation.  It  was  learned  that 
many  of  the  Filipinos  had  slipped  past  the  outposts 
during  the  darkness  and  were  hurrying  southward, 
in  the  direction  of  the  Zapote  River.  From  the 
private  secretary  of  General  Pio  del  Pilar,  who  had 
deserted  his  employer,  it  was  learned,  through  Gen- 
eral Otis,  that  the  Filipino  army  of  southern  Luzon 


BATTLING   ALONG   THE   ZAPOTE   RIVER         159 

expected  to  make  its  stand  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  named. 

"  Well,  I  hope  they  do  make  a  stand,"  said  Ben, 
when  he  heard  the  news.  "  I  would  rather  be  fight- 
ing than  running  after  them  all  day,  especially  in 
this  heat." 

On  Monday,  while  the  army  was  obtaining  sup- 
plies from  Manila,  General  Lawton  went  aboard 
the  Helena  and  inspected  the  "  lay  of  the  land " 
below  Las  Pifias.  His  observations  led  him  to 
believe  that  the  rebels  were  indeed  preparing  for 
a  stand,  and  the  grim  war  veteran  smiled  quietly  to 
himself  as  he  returned  to  his  headquarters. 

Our  soldiers  had  not  advanced  far  on  Tuesday 
when  a  rebel  battery  just  south  of  Las  Piiias  opened 
up  in  grand  style,  which  was  replied  to  by  our 
First  Artillery  and  our  warships  in  the  bay.  Gen- 
eral Lawton  took  out  several  companies  to  inspect 
the  roads  leading  from  the  shore  to  the  American 
position  and  was  almost  caught  in  an  ambush 
by  rebels  who  could  neither  advance  nor  retreat. 
This  brought  on  a  terrific  hand-to-hand  encounter, 
and  at  first  the  Americans  were  scattered.  But 
the  gallant  Lawton,  who  knew  not  the  meaning 
of  defeat,  rallied  his   men   and  stormed  the   rebel 


160  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

position  repeatedly.  In  the  meantime  reinforce- 
ments were  ordered  up,  —  Ben's  battalion  among 
the  rest,  —  and  the  fight  grew  hotter  each  instant. 
Ben's  company  had  to  wade  through  water  and 
mud  up  to  their  ankles,  in  marsh-brush  which  was 
taller  than  their  heads,  and  under  a  galling  fire 
coming  from  a  number  of  nipa  huts  lining  the  road 
beyond.  These  nipa  huts  had  been  occupied  by 
Tagals  who  pretended  to  be  friendly  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, but  now  their  white  rags  were  gone  and  they 
showed  their  true  character. 

"On,  men,  we  are  needed  at  the  front — Gen- 
eral Lawton  himself  needs  us ! "  cried  Major  Mor- 
ris ;  and  the  battalion  made  a  spurt,  cheering  Lawton 
and  the  flag  as  they  advanced.  Shot  and  shell 
were  flying  in  every  direction,  and  soon  the  swamp 
brush  was  afire  in  a  dozen  places,  the  heavy  smoke 
adding  itself   to  that  from  the  volunteers'  firearms. 

"  We  are  up  against  it  this  trip ! "  cried  Gilbert, 
as  he  ran  beside  Ben  for  a  few  paces.  "  I  reckon 
the  rebels  are  making  the  fight  of  their  lives." 

"It's  no  worse  than  at  Malolos,"  answered  the 
young  captain.     "  I  know  —  " 

"  Down ! "  came  the  cry  from  the  front,  and  the 
officers  bent  low.      There  was  a  roar  and  a  rattle, 


BATTLING   ALONG   THE   ZAPOTE   RIVER         161 

and  shot  and  shell  went  shrieking  over  their  heads. 
Then  the  din  became  so  terrific  that  further  con- 
versation was  impossible. 

General  Lawton's  detachment  was  gained,  and 
now  the  fight  was  to  get  to  Overshine's  brigade, 
also  fighting  desperately  against  an  enemy  num- 
bering well  up  into  the  thousands.  Every  trail 
and  every  jungle  held  its  Filipinos,  all  well  armed 
and  fighting  for  once  with  a  courage  which  was 
phenomenal. 

"  Kill  the  pigs  !  "  was  the  native  cry.  "  Kill 
them !  Spare  not  those  who  would  take  our  be- 
loved homes  from  us ! "  And  then  would  follow 
a  shrill  yelling  which  was  deafening,  to  be  swal- 
lowed up  in  another  rattle  and  roar  of  rifles  and 
cannon.  The  very  ground  was  torn  up  as  by 
ploughs  run  mad,  and  the  dead  and  dying  lay  every- 
where, the  painfully  wounded  shrieking  for  help, 
for  water,  for  death  to  relieve  them  of  their  suffer- 
ings.    Such  is  the  ghastly  terror  of  real  war. 

Sick  at  heart,  almost  stunned  by  the  harrowing 
sights  which  constantly  met  their  gaze,  Ben  and 
Larry  kept  on,  close  together,  each  mentally  pray- 
ing that  the  other  might  be  spared  to  him.  Am- 
munition was  running  low,  and  they  fired  now  only 


162  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN   LUZON 

when  the  occasion  appeared  to  demand  it.  Ben's 
shirt  was  torn  half  from  his  back,  yet  he  never 
noticed  it. 

"  Hurrah  !  they  are  running  at  last !  "  It  was 
a  cry  from  the  left,  and  it  was  true.  The  rebel 
line  had  broken;  now  it  seemed  to  melt  first  at 
one  spot  and  then  at  another.  A  ringing  cheer 
arose  from  the  Americans.  "  The  battle  is  ours ! 
Hike  her  up !  Don't  let  them  get  away  this  time ! 
Hurrah  for  Old  Glory ! "  And  away  went  the  sol- 
diers in  a  mass,  their  anxiety  of  the  minute  before 
changed  to  fierce  joy. 

The  Filipinos  were  fleeing  to  the  banks  of  the 
Zapote  River,  and  this  stream  gained,  they  burned 
the  middle  planking  of  the  bridge,  that  the  Ameri- 
cans might  not  follow  them  across.  On  the  oppo- 
site shore  they  had  strong  intrenchments,  with  a 
well-planted  battery.  Along  the  river  were  nu- 
merous huts  and  houses,  many  of  them  manned 
by  Tagalog  sharpshooters.  As  the  Americans  came 
up,  the  sharpshooters  brought  down  several  of  them. 
But  then  the  sharpshooters  fled,  fearful  of  being 
surrounded. 

Coming  to  the  river,  General  Lawton  saw  that 
he  could  not  get  across  over  the  bridge,  and  with- 


BATTLING   ALONG  THE  ZAPOTE  RIVER        163 

drew  his  command  to  the  shelter  of  some  trees  and 
some  trenches  which  the  enemy  had  dug  long 
before.  The  artillery  was  speedily  placed  in  posi- 
tion, and  a  constant  and  bitter  fire  was  directed 
across  the  stream,  which  the  insurgents  returned 
as  well  as  they  were  able.  It  was  now  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  and  nobody  had  had  anything  to 
eat  since  early  morning.  But  there  was  no  let-up, 
all  feeling  that  this  was  one  of  the  contests  which 
must  count  heavily  for  one  side  or  the  other. 

"  We'll  never  dislodge  them,"  said  Major  Mor- 
ris, after  a  survey  through  a  field  glass  ;  but  scarcely 
had  he  spoken  when  some  of  the  rebels  who  had 
had  several  guns  pointed  at  them  with  good  effect, 
leaped  up  from  their  trenches  and  ran  across  an 
open  field  back  of  the  river.  This  small  beginning 
produced  something  of  a  panic,  and  soon  others  fol- 
lowed, the  Filipino  leaders  trying  vainly  to  stop  the 
retreat. 

"  Fourteenth  Infantry  to  the  front ! "  was  now 
the  cry  on  the  American  side,  and  in  a  trice  the 
brave  soldiers  were  swimming  the  river.  Then 
the  Ninth  and  the  Twelfth  made  a  detour  and 
crossed,  and  another  "pitched  battle  occurred  close 
to  the  bridge,  which  was  still   smouldering.      But 


164  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

this  last  stand  of  the  Filipinos  was  of  short  dura- 
tion, and  overwhelmed  once  more  with  defeat,  they 
withdrew,  with  a  loss  of  fifteen  hundred  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured.  The  American  loss  was 
about  fifty  killed  and  wounded,  and  ten  missing. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

JOB   DOWLING-   SENDS   A   LETTER 

It  was  three  days  later,  and  the  American  troops 
occupied  all  the  territory  south  of  Manila  to  Bacoor. 
The  enemy  had  retired  to  Imus,  a  small  town  inland, 
having  given  up  entirely  the  possession  of  the  terri- 
tory fronting  Manila  Bay. 

There  was  no  more  fighting  in  sight  for  the  time 
being,  and  Ben  and  Larry,  with  their  friends,  were 
glad  enough  to  take  it  easy  in  the  shade  of  some  tall 
trees  overshadowing  the  hut  which  the  young  captain 
had  made  his  temporary  quarters. 

All  of  the  soldiers  were  waiting  for  the  mail  from 
Manila,  which  was  expected  on  an  early  wagon  train. 
Soon  the  mail  came  in,  bringing  with  it  several 
letters  for  our  friends. 

"  A  letter  from  Uncle  Job,"  said  Larry,  on  receiv- 
ing the  missive.  He  tore  the  envelope  open  and  read 
aloud,  for  Ben's  benefit :  — 

"  My  dear  Boys,"  the  old  man  wrote,  "  I  was 
very  glad  to  get  your  last  letter,  but  sorry  to  learn 

165 


166  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

that  you  were  having  so  many  ups  and  downs  out 
in  the  Philippines.  According  to  my  notion  Uncle 
Sam  made  a  big  mistake  when  he  didn't  let  the 
islands  alone  after  Dewey's  victory.  Seems  to  me 
the  Filipinos  deserve  their  liberty  just  as  much  as 
anybody. 

"  Howsomever,  now  you  are  in  the  ranks,  you 
want  to  keep  on  doing  your  duty  by  your  country  to 
the  finish.  Walter  sailed  on  the  ship  Central^  and 
I  guess  he  will  be  with  you  about  the  time  you  get 
this.  I  hope  none  of  you  get  shot,  and  all  come 
home  safe  and  sound  after  the  fighting  is  done.  I 
don't  see  how  you  can  keep  on  sodgering  so  long  — 
'twouldn't  suit  me  nohow. 

"  That  turning  around  about  Braxton  Bogg  nearly 
took  my  breath  out  of  me,  for  I  was  afraid  my  prop- 
erty was  gone  now  sure.  Was  awful  glad  that  you 
caught  that  Spaniard  and  got  half  the  bank  money 
anyway,  and  I  hope  you  or  the  U.  S.  detective  offi- 
cers get  the  balance  of  the  money  before  you  give  it 
up.     Such  outrageous  rascals  ought  to  be  strung  up. 

"  Well,  I  ain't  got  much  more  to  write  about.  A 
speculator  wanted  me  to  invest  in  a  new  get-rich- 
quick  concern,  but  I  told  him  I  had  had  my  eye-teeth 
cut  and  wasn't  investing  in  nothing  excepting  what 


JOB   DOWLING   SENDS   A   LETTER  167 

I  knew  was  safe  and  sound.     I  see  by  the  papers  the 

wet  season  is  coming  at  Manila.       Don't   get   your 

feet  wet  any  more  than  you  can  help  and  keep  thick 

socks  on  all  the  time. 

"  Your  affectionate 

"Uncle  Job. 

"P.S.  Don't  get  mad  over  what  I  said  about 
sodgering.  I  am  proud  of  you,  and  I  hope  you  all 
come  home  generals  or  something  like  that." 

"Isn't  that  Uncle  Job  to  a  T?"  remarked  Larry, 
when  he  had  finished  the  epistle.  "  I'll  wager  he 
was  all  upset  over  that  money  matter.  Well,  I  hope 
myself  we  collar  that  Jose*  Lupez  before  we  quit 
the  country." 

"  Yes,  and  collar  him  before  he  spends  all  that 
money,"  returned  Ben.  Then  he  gave  a  short  laugh. 
"  *  Don't  get  your  feet  wet ! '  That's  well  meant ; 
but  if  only  Uncle  Job  knew  what  we  have  to  put 
up  with,  I  reckon  he'd  open  his  eyes." 

"  There's  a  good  deal  to  think  about  in  what  he 
says  of  this  war  in  the  Philippines,  Ben.  In  one  way, 
I  think  the  Filipinos  ought  to  govern  themselves, 
don't  you?" 

"  I  do,  and  I  don't.    It  would  be  right  in  theory, 


168  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

but  could  they  do  it  practically  ?  Some  of  the 
Tagals  in  the  cities  are  educated  up  to  it,  but  not 
the  great  masses.  What  would  be  the  best,  it  seems 
to  me,  would  be  for  Uncle  Sam  to  take  hold,  but 
with  the  understanding  that  the  Filipinos  could  do 
for  themselves  as  soon  as  they  were  capable  of 
handling  the  reins  of  government.  They  might  — 
What  is  it,  Gilbert?" 

Ben  broke  off  short,  as  the  young  Southerner 
came  rushing  up,  with  a  Manila  newspaper  in  his 
hand  —  one  of  the  new  sheets  recently  established 
and  printed  in  English. 

"Have  you  heard  the  news  about  the  Central?" 
asked  the  lieutenant,  anxiously. 

"No;  has  she  arrived?" 

"She  has,  but  —  but —  It's  too  bad,  Ben,  but  I 
reckon  you  and  Larry  have  got  to  be  told." 

"Something  has  happened  to  Walter?"  cried 
both  of  the  Russells,  in  a  breath. 

"  I'm  afraid  so.  The  newspaper  says  the  Central, 
while  on  her  way  to  Manila,  was  caught  in  a  storm, 
and  had  to  put  into  a  bay  on  the  north  coast  of 
this  island  for  repairs.  While  at  anchor  a  number 
of  the  men  were  allowed  a  run  on  shore.  When 
the  main   body  came   back   from  a  long  walk,  two 


JOB   DOWLING   SENDS   A   LETTER  169 

of  the  number,  Walter  and  a  sailor  named  Si  Dor- 
ing,  were  missing." 

"Walter!"  muttered  Ben.  "Si  Doring  was  his 
chum." 

"  And  —  and  didn't  they  come  back  ?  "  questioned 
Larry,  faintly.     He  could  scarcely  speak. 

"They  did  not.  The  next  morning  a  rescuing 
party  went  out,  but  this  was  attacked  by  the  na- 
tives, who  also  attacked  the  ship  with  fire  arrows. 
One  man  was  killed  in  the  battle  on  the  beach, 
and  three  wounded,  and  at  last  the  Central  sailed 
away,  feeling  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  rescue 
the  missing  ones,  even  if  they  were  —  well  —  you 
know."  Gilbert's  voice  dropped.  "  I'm  awfully  sorry 
—  you  know  I  am,"  he  added. 

For  the  moment  neither  Ben  nor  Larry  could 
speak.  Walter  missing,  perhaps  dead !  The  news 
was  a  frightful  shock.  They  had  looked  forward 
with  so  much  pleasure  to  seeing  him  in  a  day  or 
two. 

"  It  may  not  be  as  bad  as  you  suppose,"  went  on 
Gilbert,  trying  his  best  to  soothe  them.  "  He  and 
his  chum  may  have  escaped  into  the  woods." 

"It  is  doubtful,"  returned  Ben.  "Poor,  poor 
Walter !     Perhaps  we'll  never  hear  what  really  did 


170  UNDER  MacARTHUK   IN   LUZON 

become  of  him,"  and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears  which 
he  hastily  dashed  away.  Larry  was  also  affected, 
and  turned  away  to  hide  his  grief. 

There  was  no  more  to  be  learned  out  of  the  paper, 
but  anxious  to  know  all  the  particulars,  Ben  and 
Larry  asked  for  permission  to  go  to  Manila  and  in- 
terview the  commander  of  the  transport.  The  per- 
mission was  readily  obtained,  and  they  rode  to  the 
capital  the  next  day,  in  company  with  some  baggage 
carts  and  hospital  ambulances. 

"  That  news  will  break  the  Russell  boys  all  up," 
remarked  Major  Morris,  when  told  of  the  affair  by 
Gilbert.  "  It's  too  bad.  It  seems  to  me  those  on 
the  transport  ought  to  have  been  more  careful  of 
their  men." 

"I  agree  with  you,"  answered  the  young  South- 
erner. "But,  major,  you  said  last  night  that  you 
had  a  new  bit  of  work  in  hand,"  he  continued. 

"I  have,  lieutenant.  I  was  going  to  take  both 
you  and  Captain  Russell  into  my  confidence,  but  I 
reckon  it  won't  do  any  good  to  speak  to  the  captain 
now.     He's  in  no  humor  for  the  job." 

"What  job?" 

"  I  managed  to  have  a  talk  with  General  Lawton 
last   night,  and  I  got   his  permission  to  organize  a 


JOB   DOWLING   SENDS   A   LETTER  171 

special  party  of  eight  or  ten  men  to  make  a  hunt 
for  this  notorious  General  Adoz,  the  guerilla  chief. 
I  was  pumping  several  of  the  wounded  Tagals,  and 
I  am  pretty  certain  I  can  lay  my  hands  on  the 
man.     I  wanted  to  know  if  you  — " 

"I'll  go,  and  glad  of  the  chance,"  burst  out  the 
lieutenant  before  the  major  could  finish.  "  When 
do  we  start  ?  " 

"You  are  willing,  and  no  mistake,  lieutenant  — 
and  I  am  glad  of  it.  We  will  start  to-night  —  if  I 
can  get  my  men  together." 

"  Who  do  you  expect  to  take  along  ?  " 

"  Only  men  I  know  thoroughly  and  can  rely  upon 
—  you,  Ralph  Sorrel,  that  Tennesseean  mountaineer, 
who  helped  you  and  Captain  Russell  in  the  last 
campaign,  and  Boxer  the  scout,  who  is  around  again ; 
besides  Carl  Stummer  and  Dan  Casey  and  a  few 
others.  We'll  have  a  crowd  ready  to  go  anywhere 
and  do  anything,  and  that's  what  is  wanted  for  work 
of  this  sort." 

The  major  had  laid  his  plans  carefully,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  that  night  had  his  little  command  together 
and  was  giving  them  their  last  instructions.  Then 
the  party  left  the  camp  silently  in  the  darkness. 

The  route  taken  was  in  the  direction  of  the  La- 


172  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

guna  de  Bay,  along  what  is  called  by  the  natives 
the  Road  of  the  Friars,  a  rocky,  uneven  way  which 
had  not  been  repaired  for  many  years.  At  four  in 
the  morning  the  party  reached  Candaras,  a  small 
village  on  the  bay,  and  here  took  to  a  casco  owned 
by  a  native  fisherman.  As  was  expected,  when 
confronted  by  the  Americans,  the  fisherman  claimed 
he  was  an  amigo,  although  at  heart  a  thorough 
rebel. 

"  If  you  are  a  friend,  you  will  come  with  us," 
said  the  major,  and  forced  the  man  to  enter  the 
casco,  a  large  clumsy  affair,  with  a  wooden  hood 
over  the  stern  seat.  The  fisherman  protested,  but 
the  major  would  not  listen,  and  soon  the  party  was 
out  on  the  lake. 

"You  know  where  the  rocky  shore  is  which  the 
rebels  call  Satan's  Foot,"  said  Major  Morris,  when 
out  of  sight  of  the  village.  "I  want  you  to  take 
us  to  that  spot,  and  without  delay." 

The  fisherman  shook  his  head.  "I  know  of  no 
such  place,"  he  protested. 

"  I  say  you  do  know,"  answered  the  major,  coldly, 
and  pulled  out  his  pistol.  "  There  is  an  old  Spanish 
watch-tower  at  the  point.  If  you  do  not  land  us 
at   the   tower  before   sunrise,   I   will   put    a  bullet 


He  begged  them  not  to  murder  him     Page  173 


JOB   DOWLING   SENDS   A   LETTER  173 

through  your  head  and  dump  you  into  the  lake  for 
the  fishes  to  feed  upon." 

The  threat  made  the  fisherman  tremble  from  head 
to  foot,  and  he  sank  on  his  knees  and  begged  them, 
in  his  native  tongue,  not  to  murder  him.  The  major 
had  no  such  intention,  but  did  not  allow  a  muscle 
of  his  face  to  betray  him.  Instead,  he  placed  the 
muzzle  of  the  pistol  to  the  Tagal's  forehead. 

"You  must  do  as  I  say,  or  you  will  soon  be  a 
dead  man.  Come,  take  up  the  oars  and  lose  no 
more  time.  Any  treachery  on  your  part  means 
death  to  you." 

So  full  of  fear  that  he  could  scarcely  hold  the 
oars,  the  fisherman  fell  to  rowing,  and  one  of  the 
soldiers  helped  him.  In  this  fashion  the  casco 
moved  over  the  swollen  lake  for  hours.  No  doubt 
the  fisherman  wanted  to  play  them  false,  but  he 
valued  his  life  too  highly  to  take  the  risk,  and  just 
as  the  sun  was  peeping  over  the  distant  mountains 
the  boat  came  in  sight  of  a  rocky  cliff  standing  well 
out  into  the  water.  Some  distance  back  of  the 
shore  was  a  small  stone  tower,  now  covered  with 
moss  and  vines  and  fast  going  into  decay. 

"Is  this  the  place?"  asked  the  major,  eying  the 
native  sharply. 


174  UNDER   MacARTHUE,   IN   LUZON 

"Yes,"  was  the  surly  reply. 

"Then  row  around  to  the  steps  on  the  left.  Be 
quick  about  it." 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  as  the  casco  reached 
the  shore,  Major  Morris  made  a  sign  to  Stummer 
and  Casey,  who  caught  the  fisherman  from  behind 
and  bound  his  hands. 

"  We  will  see  if  you  have  done  as  I  told  you  to," 
said  the  major.  "  If  you  have  fooled  us,  remember, 
your  life  is  no  longer  your  own." 

"  It  is  the  right  place,"  said  the  fisherman. 

Scarcely  had  the  words  been  spoken  than  two 
rifle  shots  rang  out  and  two  bullets  sped  across  the 
rocky  cliff,  one  striking  the  casco  near  the  bow,  and 
the  other  hitting  the  water  beyond  the  boat. 

"  The  enemy !  "  cried  Gilbert.     "  Down ! " 

A  volley  followed,  coming  from  behind  the  stone 
tower.  One  man  was  struck  —  Boxer  the  scout  — 
and  killed  outright.  The  fisherman  was  also  hit 
in  the  shoulder,  and  in  his  terror  leaped  overboard, 
waded  ashore,  and  sped  for  the  nearest  jungle.  The 
next  instant  our  friends  also  entered  the  water  and 
ran  for  a  path  leading  to  the  top  of  the  cliff. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CAPTURING   ADOZ,    THE   GUERILLA 

"  I  reckon  we  have  found  the  guerilla  chief ! " 
cried  Gilbert,  as  the  Americans  came  to  a  halt 
behind  a  tumbled-down  stone  wall,  attached  to  the 
old  watch-tower. 

"He  seems  to  have  found  us,"  answered  Major 
Morris,  with  an  anxious  look  in  his  face.  "  Come, 
follow  me.     We  have  no  time  to  waste  here." 

"  Major,  have  ye  got  a  particklar  dislike  ef  I 
take  jest  one  shot?"  came  from  Ralph  Sorrel,  the 
tall  Tennesseean. 

"No;  shoot  if  you  have  anything  to  shoot  at," 
was  the  answer,  and  it  was  not  yet  fully  delivered 
when  Sorrel's  rifle  came  up  and  there  was  a  sharp 
crack,  followed  by  a  distant  yell,  and  a  Filipino  fell 
out  of  some  bushes  not  a  hundred  yards  distant. 

"  Knew  as  how  I  could  fetch  him,"  murmured  the 
mountaineer. 

The  party  moved  on,  along  the  stone  wall,  until 
they  reached  a  clump  of  bushes,  behind  which  was 

175 


176  UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN   LUZON 

a  small  mountain  stream  running  down  to  the 
lake.  The  stream  was  fringed,  with  bushes  and 
tall  reeds. 

"  A  camp-fire !  "  whispered  Dan  Casey,  pointing 
across  the  stream.  "  It's  burnin'  lively,  too.  Sure, 
an'  thim  rebels  was  makin'  thimselves  at  home." 

"A  horse — three  of  them,"  came  from  Gilbert 
soon  after,  and  he  pointed  out  the  animals,  tethered 
in  the  grass  back  of  the  stream.  "  One  of  them 
has  an  officer's  trappings." 

They  pushed  on,  with  rifles  and  pistols  ready 
for  immediate  use  should  the  occasion  arise.  But 
no  more  shots  came,  and  reaching  a  road  behind 
the  watch-tower,  they  found  it  practically  deserted. 

"  They  have  slipped  away,"  said  Gilbert.  "  It's 
the  usual  Filipino  trick." 

"  Forward,  on  the  double-quick  ! "  cried  the  major. 
"  There  are  six  of  the  enemy  running  for  the  jungle 
on  the  left!" 

The  major  was  right,  and  soon  they  were  speed- 
ing across  the  field  behind  the  watch-tower.  The 
stream  had  to  be  waded,  and  they  sank  in  mud 
ankle  deep.  But  no  one  minded  this,  and  coming 
up  on  safe  ground,  they  made  after  the  flying  ones 
at   a   smarter    gait    than   ever.     Three    shots   were 


CAPTURING  ADOZ,  THE  GUERILLA  177 

fired  back  at  them,  but  none  took  effect.  Then 
the  Americans  fired,  and  two  of  the  Filipinos  were 
wounded,  one  mortally. 

"See,  two  of  the  enemy  are  running  in  a  semi- 
circle," said  Gilbert,  presently.  "What  does  that 
mean?" 

"  They  are  after  those  horses ! "  answered  the 
major.  "  Come,  we'll  cut  them  off."  And  away 
he  ran,  with  Gilbert  at  his  heels.  The  others  were 
about  to  follow,  but  had  to  turn  their  attention  to 
the  remaining  Filipinos,  and  soon  the  major  and 
the  lieutenant  found  themselves  alone. 

As  the  two  officers  came  out  on  a  side  road,  they 
heard  a  calling  in  the  field,  which  was  separated 
from  the  road  by  a  tall  hedge.  Pushing  the  bushes 
aside,  they  made  out  two  Filipino  officers  in  the  act 
of  mounting  two  of  the  horses  which  had  been 
tethered  at  the  spot. 

"  Surrender ! "  cried  the  major,  and  aimed  a  shot 
with  his  pistol,  while  Gilbert  did  the  same.  Two 
shots  came  back  in  return,  and  then  one  of  the 
officers  leaped  into  the  saddle. 

The  second  officer  tried  to  follow,  but  before  he 
could  mount,  Major  Morris  was  upon  him.  The 
major's  pistol  was  now  empty,  and  so  was  that  of 


178  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

the  Filipino,  and  it  was  a  battle  with  swords,  first 
in  front  of  the  horse  and  then  around  the  animal. 
The  blows  flew  thick  and  hot,  and  soon  the  major 
found  that  he  had  met  a  man  fully  worthy  of 
his  steel. 

In  the  meantime,  although  the  other  officer  had 
succeeded  in  mounting,  his  horse  was  scared,  and 
instead  of  moving  as  directed,  pranced  around 
madly  in  a  semicircle,  throwing  himself  so  wildly 
that  the  rider  had  to  hold  on  around  the  beast's 
neck  to  keep  from  being  thrown  off. 

"  Stop ! "  called  out  Gilbert ;  but  it  was  so  much 
breath  wasted,  for  the  Filipino  could  not  have 
stopped  had  he  wished.  Suddenly  the  horse  bolted 
and  made  for  the  brush  at  the  far  end  of  the  field. 
The  rider  was  still  on  him,  but  he  had  dropped 
his  pistol,  and  this  weapon  Gilbert  now  ran  and 
picked  up.  It  was  silver-mounted  and  bore  the 
name,  in  quaint  Spanish  lettering,  Adoz. 

"  Adoz ! "  cried  the  young  Southerner.  "  He 
must  be  the  noted  guerilla  chief.  Oh,  if  only  I 
could  bag  him  !  " 

Hardly  had  the  thought  entered  his  mind  than 
the  third  horse  came  up  to  him,  swishing  his  tail 
nervously.     Without  giving  a   second    thought    to 


CAPTURING   ADOZ,  THE   GUERILLA  179 

what  lie  was  doing,  Gilbert  vaulted  into  the  high 
Spanish  saddle.  His  hot  Southern  blood  was  all 
aflame  with  excitement. 

"  I'll  run  him  down ! "  he  muttered  between  his 
set  teeth.  "I'll  run  him  down  or  know  the  reason 
why  I  cannot ! "  And,  urging  the  horse  forward, 
he  was  soon  across  the  field  and  into  the  bushes, 
with  not  even  a  glance  back  to  see  how  the  major 
was  faring. 

The  way  was  uncertain,  and  Gilbert  knew  that 
he  was  running  a  big  risk  in  following  General 
Adoz  into  an  unknown  territory  which  might  be 
alive  with  insurgents.  Yet  he  was  in  a  truly  reck- 
less spirit  and  ready  almost  for  anything.  On  and 
on  he  went,  through  several  fields  of  low  brush  and 
across  low  stone  fences.  Then  he  came  out  on  a 
well-formed  natural  highway,  lined  here  and  there 
with  nipa  huts.  These  huts  he  was  pleased  to  note 
were  deserted. 

General  Adoz  had  now  secured  control  of  his 
steed  and  was  moving  forward  at  a  sharp  trot. 
The  officer  often  glanced  back,  and  once  he  waved 
his  sword  savagely  at  Gilbert.  In  return  the  young 
lieutenant  fired  on  him,  the  bullet  cutting  through 
the   guerilla's   coat   sleeve,  and    making    him    take 


180  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

hastily  to  a  side  trail,  overhung  in  spots  with  low 
tree  branches. 

As  Adoz  had  not  fired  in  return,  the  lieutenant 
felt  certain  that  he  had  no  second  pistol,  and  now 
he  urged  his  own  steed  forward  with  renewed 
vigor,  bent  upon  taking  his  man  alive  if  it  could 
possibly  be  accomplished.  The  road  was  narrow 
and  dangerous,  and  once  he  had  to  bend  low  over 
his  horse's  side,  or  a  tree  limb  would  have  struck 
and  probably  killed  him. 

"He  means  to  get  away  if  he  can,"  muttered 
Gilbert  to  himself,  as  the  wild  chase  continued. 
Then,  of  a  sudden,  he  heard  a  clatter  on  some 
rocks,  a  yell  of  alarm,  and  all  became  deadly 
silent. 

What  did  it'  mean?  Gilbert  slowed  up,  but  did 
not  come  to  a  halt.  The  trees  were  tall  along 
the  trail,  the  sun  was  under  a  cloud,  and  it  was 
far  from  light  in  consequence.  He  was  on  the 
point  of  dismounting  when  he  caught  sight  of  Gen- 
eral Adoz's  horse  coming  toward  him,  riderless. 

"Something  serious  has  happened,  that's  sure," 
thought  the  young  Southerner,  and  now  alighted, 
but  kept  a  firm  hold  of  his  steed's  bridle.  There 
was   a    turn    just    ahead,   and    coming    to    this    he 


CAPTURING  ADOZ,  THE   GUERILLA  181 

made  out  a  rocky  ravine,  which  had  been  spanned 
by  a  half-rotten  wooden  bridge.  The  bridge  had 
given  way  in  the  centre  and  only  a  few  bits  of 
cracked  timbers  clung  to  the  side  upon  which  Gil- 
bert was  located. 

Feeling  that  the  guerilla  had  been  thrown  into 
the  ravine,  the  lieutenant  moved  to  the  brink  and 
peered  over.  There  was  General  Adoz,  clinging 
to  a  big  rock,  ten  feet  below  the  roadway.  Be- 
neath the  guerilla  was  a  sheer  decline  of  fifty 
feet,  with  jagged  stones  at  the  bottom. 

"  Hi,  below  there  ! "  shouted  Gilbert.  "  Do  you 
surrender  now?" 

"  Yees  !  yees !  "  called  General  Adoz,  in  very  bad 
English.     "  Saf  me,  senor,  saf  me  !  " 

"I  will,  if  you'll  promise  to  behave  yourself." 

"  I  vill  surrendor !  Saf  me  !  "  cried  the  Filipino. 
He  was  white  in  the  face,  for  his  hold  was  uncer- 
tain, and  death  appeared  to  lurk  in  the  rocks  be- 
low him. 

At  first  Gilbert  was  in  a  quandary  as  to  what 
had  best  be  done.  Then  he  took  from  the  horse's 
trappings  such  straps  as  he  could  loosen  with  ease 
and  buckled  them  together. 

"  Here,  reach  the  strap ! "  he  called  out,  as  lie 


182  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN"  LUZON 

braced  himself  and  lowered  one  end.  "Don't  be 
afraid;  I  won't  let  it  slip." 

"You  —  you  vill  hoi'  fas'?"  asked  the  guerilla, 
suspiciously. 

"Yes." 

"I  am  von  heafy  man." 

"I  can  manage  you,  if  you  don't  get  caught  on 
the  rocks.  Now  then,  if  you  want  me  to  pull  you 
up." 

The  end  of  the  strap  dangled  directly  in  front 
of  the  guerilla,  and  feeling  that  he  could  not 
remain  where  he  was  forever,  he  made  a  wild 
clutch  at  it  and  held  on  like  grim  death. 

The  load  was  a  heavy  one,  and  had  not  Gilbert 
been  able  to  twist  one  foot  fast  in  a  gnarled  tree 
root,  he  must  certainly  have  been  pulled  over  into 
the  ravine  on  top  of  the  guerilla.  As  it  was,  the 
straps  strained  and  cracked,  as  if  ready  to  snap  in 
two,  and  every  inch  of  gain  had  to  be  bought  at 
the  cost  of  sheer  muscular  power.  But  at  last  the 
head  of  the  guerilla  came  over  the  ravine  bank, 
and  then  he  readily  helped  himself  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

"You've  had  a  narrow  escape  — "  began  Gilbert. 

Instead  of   replying,  the    guerilla    chief    scowled 


CAPTURING    ADOZ,   THE   GUERILLA  183 

darkly  at  him.  There  was  that  in  his  wicked  eyes 
which  caused  Gilbert  fresh  alarm,  but  before  the 
young  lieutenant  could  make  a  single  move,  Adoz 
was  on  him  with  the  spring  of  a  tiger  and  had 
hurled  him  backward. 

"Dog!  to  think  I  would  surrender  to  you!"  he 
hissed,  in  Spanish.  "  Instead  I  will  run  you  through 
with  your  own  sword ! "  And  he  began  to  clutch 
for  the  weapon,  his  own  being  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine. 

The  young  Southerner  could  not  get  at  his  pis- 
tol, nor  could  he  manage  to  reach  his  sword.  But 
he  caught  Adoz's  arm  and  held  it  with  a  grip  of 
steel. 

Over  and  over  rolled  the  pair,  out  into  the  road- 
way and  then  toward  the  broken  end  of  the  bridge. 
The  Filipino  was  a  powerful  man  weighing  twenty 
or  thirty  pounds  more  than  the  young  lieutenant, 
and  Gilbert  found  himself  unable  to  shake  the 
man  loose.  Adoz  had  the  handle  of  the  sword,  but 
so  far  the  lieutenant  had  prevented  the  guerilla  from 
withdrawing  it  from  the  scabbard. 

The  struggle  had  lasted  five  minutes  and  Gilbert 
began  to  feel  weak,  for  the  guerilla  had  come  down 
upon  him  with  all  force,  nearly  knocking  the  wind 


184  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

out  of  him.  The  breath  of  each  came  short  and 
hard,  for  the  struggle  was  now  nearing  an  end, 
and  Gilbert  was  beginning  to  fear  that  he  was  to 
come  out  second  best. 

"If  I  cannot  use  the  sword,  I  can  at  least  hurl 
you  into  the  ravine ! "  panted  Adoz,  speaking  again 
in  his  native  tongue.  So  saying,  he  let  go  the 
handle  of  the  blade  and  clutched  Gilbert  by  the 
throat  and  the  shoulder.  "Die,  you  pig!"  he 
added  viciously. 

"Le  —  let  go  m  —  my  throat!"  came  from  the 
lieutenant.  And  then,  as  Adoz  still  held  on,  he 
raised  his  foot  and  kicked  the  guerilla  in  the 
stomach  with  all  his  might.  A  grunt  of  anguish 
followed,  and  for  an  instant  the  grip  of  the  Filipino 
general  slackened.  Then  Gilbert  reached  for  his 
sword  and  managed  to  draw  it. 

With  the  sword  at  his  breast,  General  Adoz  felt 
that  he  must  make  a  new  move,  and  so  leaped 
back  several  paces.  In  the  contest  Gilbert's  pistol 
had  fallen  in  the  roadway,  and  his  eye  fell  upon 
this.  But  so  did  the  eye  of  the  lieutenant,  and 
simultaneously  they  rushed  for  the  firearm.  Gil- 
bert got  in  ahead  and  placed  his  foot  upon  it. 

A  clatter  was  now  heard  on  the  road,  followed 


CAPTURING   ADOZ,   THE   GUERILLA  185 

by  a  cry  in  Major  Morris's  voice.  He  was  coming 
straight  in  that  direction,  and  Gilbert  yelled  to 
him  to  hurry.  With  the  calling  General  Adoz 
started  to  retreat,  but  Gilbert  promptly  raised  the 
pistol  and  covered  him.  In  a  moment  more  Major 
Morris  was  at  hand,  and  a  second  muzzle  was  thrust 
toward  the  guerilla  chief,  who  thereupon  cried  out 
that  he  would  surrender. 

"  You  said  you  would  do  that  before,"  said  Gilbert. 
"Up  with  your  hands.  If  you  attempt  to  lower  them 
a  single  inch,  I'll  blow  your  worthless  brains  out." 

The  young  lieutenant  told  the  major  what  had 
occurred,  and  it  was  decided  to  bind  the  guerilla's 
hands  and  tie  him  on  his  horse.  General  Adoz 
wished  to  argue  the  matter,  and  presently  offered 
them  a  thousand  dollars,  Spanish  money,  if  they 
would  release  him;  but  to  his  protestations  and  his 
offer  they  paid  no  attention.  Soon  the  Americans 
were  riding  back  to  the  watch-tower,  with  their 
prisoner  between  them. 

"  I  had  a  stiff  fight  of  my  own,"  said  the  major, 
as  they  rode  along.  "  That  other  fellow  was  a  skil- 
ful swordsman,  I  can  tell  you  that." 

"  What  became  of  him  ?  " 

"  He  is  lying  in  the  shade  where  I  placed  him.    He 


186  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN   LUZON 

scratched  my  arm,  but  I  planted  my  blade  directly 
through  his  shoulder.  He  is  good  for  several  months 
in  the  hospital." 

Upon  returning  to  the  field  where  the  wounded 
man  lay,  it  was  learned  that  he  was  Captain  Cansario, 
one  of  Adoz's  private  staff,  —  a  villain  who  had  long 
been  wanted  by  the  Spanish  government  for  unlaw- 
ful appropriations  of  public  funds. 

The  others  of  the  party  soon  put  in  an  appearance. 
Casey  had  received  a  slight  wound  in  the  shoulder, 
while  Carl  Stummer  had  nearly  ended  his  life  by  a 
tumble  into  a  hidden  well. 

"  Put  ve  scattered  dem  Filibinos,  I  can  tell  you  dot," 
said  the  German  soldier.  "  Ve  kill  more  as  a  tozen 
of  dem." 

As  the  fisherman  could  not  be  found,  the  party  had 
to  row  themselves  back  to  Candaras,  which  was  no 
mean  thing  to  do,  for  they  had  to  guess  at  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  village  lay.  The  major  ordered  the 
party  to  wait  until  dark,  fearing  that  some  insurgents 
might  be  at  the  village  to  give  them  a  surprise.  But 
none  of  the  enemy  turned  up,  and  by  daybreak  the 
next  day  the  major's  party  was  safe  back  in  camp 
with  their  prisoners. 

The  capture  of  the  notorious  General  Adoz  and 


CAPTURING   ADOZ,   THE   GUERILLA  187 

his  equally  notorious  hireling,  Captain  Cansario, 
created  something  of  a  sensation,  and  Gilbert  and 
Major  Morris  speedily  became  the  lions  of  the  day. 
Both  were  complimented  by  their  superiors  and  given 
to  understand  that  they  would  be  recommended  for 
special  bravery  —  which,  in  the  army  and  navy,  means 
a  recommendation  for  advancement. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE    MEETING    AT    THE    MOUNTAIN    PASS 

"  Walter,  we  don't  seem  to  be  getting  anywhere 
in  particular  very  fast.  Here  we  have  been  travel- 
ling about  a  week,  over  hills  and  streams,  dodging 
the  natives,  and  scurrying  around  for  something  to 
eat,  and  to  what  purpose  ?  My  feet  are  so  sore  I  can 
hardly  walk  on  them,  and  my  legs  ain't  no  better.  I'm 
afraid  we  undertook  a  big  job  when  we  started  to  hoof 
it  to  Manila." 

It  was  Si  who  spoke,  as  he  dropped  under  a  palm 
tree  overlooking  a  wide  stretch  of  marshland,  with 
here  and  there  an  abandoned  paddy  field.  It  was 
midday,  hot  and  muggy,  and  both  youths  were  utterly 
exhausted  by  a  walk  of  several  miles  in  mud  up  to 
their  ankles.  The  day  previous  it  had  rained  for  ten 
hours  out  of  twelve,  and  they  had  slept  that  night  in 
clothes  which  were  saturated,  so  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  they  were  in  ill  humor. 

"  Better  give  yourself  up  to  the  Filipinos  and  have 

done  with  it,"  returned  Walter,  somewhat  bitterly. 

188 


THE   MEETING   AT  THE   MOUNTAIN   PASS        189 

"  I  don't  believe  you'd  care  very  much  if  they  knocked 
you  in  the  head,  as  they  do  an  ox  in  the  slaughter- 
house." 

"I  wouldn't  care  jest  now  —  but  I  would  if  they 
gave  me  time  to  think  it  over,"  came  from  the  Yankee 
lad,  with  a  touch  of  his  former  humor,  brought  on  by 
the  peculiar  way  in  which  his  chum  looked  at  him. 
"  No,  I  ain't  so  disheartened  as  all  that.  But  it's 
tough,  ain't  it,  the  luck  we're  having  ?  "  And  he  drew 
a  mountainous  sigh  as  he  inspected  one  of  his  shoes, 
which  had  burst  open  at  the  side. 

"  That  shoe  won't  last  very  long,  Si  —  and  neither 
will  mine.     Did  you  ever  go  barefooted?" 

"  Yes,  when  I  was  a  little  chap.  But  I  wouldn't 
want  to  go  without  shoes  over  these  rocks  and 
stubble.     Got  any  of  that  rice  cake  left  ?  " 

The  cake  to  which  he  referred  was  some  found  in 
a  deserted  nipa  hut  they  had  passed  the  evening 
before.  The  hut  had  yielded  them  not  only  some  rice 
cakes,  but  also  some  ripe  cocoanuts  and  a  good  sharp 
knife.  The  knife  was  now  practically  their  only 
weapon,  for  the  pistol  had  been  discharged  in  a  hunt 
after  game  to  eat,  and  there  were  no  cartridges  with 
which  to  reload  it. 

"I  suppose  a  fellow  in  a  story-book  would  enjoy 


190  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

this  journey  wonderfully  well,"  went  on  Walter,  sar- 
castically. "  If  he  was  in  a  half-dime  novel,  he  would 
find  a  gun  with  ammunition  whenever  he  wanted  it, 
and  a  matchbox  with  matches,  and  furnish  himself 
with  all  he  wanted  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  run  across 
a  deserted  house  with  dry  clothing  and  a  lot  of  good 
things  —  " 

"  And  then  fall  in  with  the  savages  and  have  'em 
make  him  their  king  and  show  him  a  mine  full  o'  gold 
an'  diamonds,"  concluded  Si,  with  a  short  laugh.  "I 
read  one  of  them  yarns  once.  It  was  called  '  Lalapo 
Joe,  the  Boy  King  o'  the  South  Sea  Islanders.'  I 
jest  got  to  where  the  boy  king  had  found  the  diamonds 
and  gold  and  sighted  a  friendly  sail  to  take  him  home 
when  my  dad  came  out  in  the  woodshed  where  I  was 
reading,  tore  up  the  novel,  and  give  me  the  most  all- 
fired  wollopin'  you  ever  heard  on,  and  then  made  me 
saw  wood  fer  two  hours  afterward.  By  ginger,  but 
thet  was  a  dose,  Walter,  you  jest  believe  me  !  But  I 
reckon  it  did  me  some  good,  for  I  never  took  no  stock 
in  them  novels  afterwards." 

Walter  burst  into  a  roar ;  he  could  not  help  it, 
Si's  confession  was  such  a  comical  one.  "  I  guess 
we've  all  been  through  the  mill,"  he  said,  when  he 
could  speak.     "I  remember  I  was  once  reading  a 


THE  MEETING   AT   THE   MOUNTAIN  PASS        191 

detective  story  when  my  mother  caught  me  at  it. 
That  was  about  a  year  before  she  died.  She  didn't 
get  angry,  but  she  sat  down  quietly  and  made  me 
go  over  the  whole  story  with  her,  and  then  she 
pointed  out  all  the  absurd  things,  and  showed  me 
how  no  man  could  possibly  do  what  that  detective 
had  been  doing,  —  according  to  the  book,  —  and  she 
made  me  so  ashamed  and  disgusted  that  I  threw 
the  story  into  the  fire,  and  I  haven't  read  a  detec- 
tive story  since." 

"I  would  like  to  see  one  of  your  modern  detec- 
tives set  down  here,"  went  on  the  Yankee  lad.  "I 
reckon  he'd  have  his  hands  jest  as  full  as  any- 
body." And  the  young  sailor  chewed  away  at  the 
rice  cake  in  deep  meditation.  Walter  also  began 
to  eat,  and  for  some  time  little  was  said. 

They  had  reached  the  Cagayan  River,  to  find  that 
the  rain  had  caused  a  wide  overflow  of  the  banks. 
Here  and  there  a  village  was  found  with  its  house 
posts  deep  in  the  water.  They  continued  to  keep 
at  a  distance,  longing  deeply  for  some  friendly  face 
that  never  showed  itself. 

But  a  change  was  at  hand.  On  the  day  following 
the  conversation  recorded  above,  they  came  to  the 
small   mountain  range  which   runs   east  and   west, 


192  UNDER   MacAKTHTJK   IN  LUZON 

dividing  the  northern  portion  of  Luzon  from  the 
southern.  Here  they  travelled  through  a  pass 
where  there  was  a  well-defined  trail  running  to  a 
mountain  torrent  which  empties  itself  into  Lingayen 
Gulf,  a  deep  indentation  on  the  western  shore  of  the 
island.  Rounding  a  wall  of  rocks,  Walter  saw  a 
sight  which  nearly  caused  his  heart  to  stop  beating. 

"  Look,  Si !  White  people !  "  he  gasped.  "  Ameri- 
cans at  last !     Thank  God ! " 

"  Americans,  sure  enough !  "  burst  from  the  Yan- 
kee lad.     "  We're  lucky,  after  all,  ain't  we  ?  " 

"So  we  are.  I  see  two  men.  How  many  do  you 
see?" 

"Three  —  no,  four.     They  are  coming  this  way." 

"There  are  some  natives  with  them,"  went  on 
Walter,  his  face  taking  a  drop.  "Natives  with 
rifles!  And  the  Americans  are  not  armed!  What 
can  that  mean?" 

"By  ginger,  Walter,  it  means  that  those  Ameri- 
can soldiers  are  prisoners  !  " 

"  Oh,  Si,  impossible  ! " 

"  No,  'tain't !  See,  the  men  are  tied  together  in 
pairs.  They  are  prisoners,  as  true  as  you're  born. 
Here's  a  how  d'ye  do ! " 

Si   was   right;   the  Americans   approaching  were 


THE   MEETING   AT   THE   MOUNTAIN  PASS       193 

truly  prisoners  of  the  Filipinos.  They  were  in 
rags,  mostly  barefooted,  and  their  faces  were  pinched 
and  full  of  misery.  Each  had  his  hands  bound 
with  strong  cords  and  each  was  tied  to  another. 

The  prisoners  were  in  charge  of  a  party  of  twenty 
Filipinos  —  ten  Tagals  and  ten  Igorrotes,  all  well 
armed,  the  latter  carrying  bolos  as  well  as  guns. 
All  were  moving  slowly,  for  two  of  the  prisoners 
could  not  progress  without  limping  painfully. 

"  Hurry,  you  pigs ! "  a  Tagal  would  shout  fre- 
quently, in  his  native  tongue.  "  Hurry,  or  we'll 
shoot  you  down  where  you  stand,"  and  then  for  a 
moment  the  train  would  increase  its  speed.  But 
the  half-starved  prisoners  could  not  keep  it  up  and 
soon  relapsed  into  as  slow  a  step  as  before.  Then 
would  follow  blows  and  curses,  in  a  manner  that 
made  the  blood  of  both  Walter  and  Si  run  cold. 

"  This  is  awful ! "  whispered  Walter,  as  he  drew 
out  of  sight  behind  the  rocks.  "  What  shall  we 
do?" 

"  I'd  like  to  knock  over  some  of  those  heathens  !  " 
burst  out  the  Yankee  lad.  "If  only  we  had  our 
muskets ! " 

"We  are  only  two  to  twenty,  Si;  we  could  do 
little  against  such  a  crowd." 


194  UNDER   MacAKTHUE,   IN  LUZON 

"We  might  do  a  whole  lot  if  we  kept  out  of 
sight  and  popped  them  off  one  at  a  time." 

"  Well,  we  haven't  anything  but  the  knife  and 
the  empty  pistol,  and  to  risk  a  hand-to-hand  strug- 
gle would  be  foolhardy.  We  had  better  keep  out 
of  sight." 

"And  leave  those  poor  chaps  to  their  fate?" 

"No.  Let  us  follow  the  crowd.  Perhaps  we'll 
be  able  to  do  something  for  them  in  the  dark,  if 
we  are  not  caught  ourselves." 

The  Filipinos  with  their  prisoners  were  now 
turning  to  the  right,  toward  another  mountain  pass 
from  that  which  the  young  sailors  had  been  trav- 
ersing. The  two  youths  waited  until  they  were 
almost  out  of  sight,  then  followed  stealthily  by 
moving  from  tree  to  tree  and  bush  to  bush.  They 
were  tremendously  interested  and  wondered  who 
the  prisoners  could  be. 

"  They  look  to  me  like  sailors,"  observed  Walter. 
"  But  their  clothing  is  in  such  tatters  it's  all 
guesswork." 

As  they  followed  the  others,  the  boys  kept  a  con- 
stant lookout  behind,  that  they  might  not  be  sur- 
prised from  that  direction.  In  this  fashion  fully  a 
mile  was  covered,  when  the  Filipinos  called  a  halt 


THE  MEETING  AT   THE  MOUNTAIN  PASS       195 

near  a  spring  and  went  into  temporary  camp  for 
the  night. 

"They  are  tying  their  prisoners  to  the  trees," 
announced  Si.  f 

"  Then  they  mean  to  stay  awhile  —  probably  over 
night,"  returned  Walter.  "I  wonder  if  we  could 
crawl  in  under  cover  of  darkness  and  cut  some  of 
them  loose?" 

"  I'm  for  tryin'  it  with  you,"  was  the  quick  reply. 
"  Perhaps  we  can  steal  some  of  the  guns,  too." 

Impatiently  the  two  young  sailors  waited  until 
the  darkness  was  well  advanced.  The  Filipinos 
had  lighted  a  camp-fire  and  were  around  this,  eat- 
ing, drinking,  and  smoking.  Only  a  small  portion 
of  the  food  was  given  to  the  prisoners,  who  were 
insulted  and  kicked  whenever  an  opportunity 
offered. 

At  last  the  camp  grew  quiet,  as  one  after  an- 
other of  the  Filipinos  fell  asleep.  Some  of  the 
prisoners  were  also  slumbering,  having  slipped  down 
in  the  bonds  which  held  them. 

"  Now  is  our  chance,"  whispered  Si.  "  Are  you 
ready,  Walter  ?  " 

"  I  am  ready,  but  I  wish  I  had  a  knife.  I  can't  do 
much  with  my  fingers,  in  this  darkness." 


196  UNDER   MacARTHUB,   IN   LUZON 

"  Well,  do  what  you  can.  Do  you  see  that  fellow 
over  yonder,  by  the  sharp  rock  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  He's  fast  asleep,  and  his  gun  is  at  his  feet.  I 
think  you  can  get  that  firearm  if  you  are  slick  about 
it." 

"  I'll  try  it,"  answered  Walter.  "  What  will  you 
do?" 

"  Cut  the  ropes  of  those  two  men  at  the  nearest 
tree  first,  and  then  try  to  get  a  gun  for  myself.  We 
have  the  best  of  them  in  one  way,  for  they  are  not 
dreaming  of  an  attack  in  this  forsaken  place." 

Their  brief  plan  completed,  they  separated,  and 
Walter  began  to  crawl  toward  the  sharp  rock,  doing 
it  slowly  and  without  the  least  noise.  His  heart 
beat  rapidly,  for  he  well  knew  the  danger  he  was 
running.  Should  the  Filipino  rouse  up  and  see 
him,  the  fellow  would  shoot  the  young  sailor  on  the 
spot. 


CHAPTER   XX 

CAPTURE  AND  ESCAPE    OF  THE   "  YORKTOWN "    MEN 

Although  there  was  no  moon,  the  night  was 
clear,  the  storm  having  departed  several  hours  be- 
fore. At  the  sharp  rock  there  was  but  a  single  tree, 
so  that  the  shadows  here  were  not  so  thick  as  at  the 
locality  where  the  Americans  were  held  prisoners. 

Slowly,  and  with  extreme  caution,  Walter  advanced 
step  by  step  until  he  was  within  two  yards  of  the 
sleeping  Tagal,  who  snored  and  groaned  lustily  in 
his  heavy  slumber.  The  fire  had  been  allowed  to 
die  down,  and  the  man's  form  could  be  seen  but 
indistinctly.  There  was  a  glint  on  the  gun  barrel, 
and  toward  this  the  young  sailor  made  his  way. 

Four  steps  more  and  he  had  the  weapon  in  his 
possession.  It  was  a  Mauser  of  recent  type,  and 
loaded.  Looking  down  at  the  sleeping  rebel,  he  saw 
that  the  fellow  wore  a  belt  half  filled  with  car- 
tridges. 

"  If  I  could  only  get  that  belt,"  thought  the  youth  ; 

but    he  dared  not  undertake    the   task,   since    the 

197 


198  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

article  was  strapped  tightly,  and  one  hand  of  the 
sleeper  rested  on  the  buckle.  Nevertheless,  by 
careful  work  he  managed  to  pull  seven  of  the  car- 
tridges from  the  belt,  and  these  he  slipped  into  one 
of  his  pockets. 

Retreating  as  speedily  as  he  could  without 
making  any  noise,  Walter  next  circled  around 
several  trees  and  came  closer  to  where  Si  was  at 
work.  The  Yankee  lad  had  aroused  two  of  the 
prisoners  and  had  his  hands  over  their  mouths  to 
prevent  any  outcry. 

"  Hush  !  "  whispered  Si.  "  Don't  make  any  noise. 
I  will  cut  you  loose." 

The  prisoners  were  much  amazed,  but  they  under- 
stood, and  remained  quiet  while  he  cut  their  bonds. 

"  Now  arm  yourselves  if  you  can,"  went  on  the 
Yankee  lad,  in  a  voice  filled  with  restrained  excite- 
ment. "  But  don't  wake  the  rebels  up  until  I've 
cut  loose  some  of  your  friends." 

"All  right,  messmate,"  was  the  whispered  reply 
from  one  of  the  men,  and  Si  was  now  certain  he  was 
a  sailor,  for  he  wore  a  seaman's  headgear,  upon  the 
band  of  which  appeared  the  name  Yorktown. 

"  I  have  the  rifle,"  whispered  Walter.  "  What 
shall  I  do  next  ?  " 


THE   "YORKTOWN"   MEN  199 

"  Better  stand  guard  and  shoot  the  first  rebel  who 
tries  to  harm  us,"  was  Si's  ready  reply.  Then  he 
moved  away  in  the  darkness  of  several  trees  growing 
close  together,  while  the  two  sailors  who  had  been 
released  did  likewise. 

An  instant  later  came  a  shrill  cry  of  alarm,  one  of  the 
sailors  having  stepped  on  the  arm  of  a  Filipino  lying 
in  a  dark  hollow,  and  in  a  moment  the  entire  camp 
was  in  commotion. 

"  The  jig  is  up  ! "  came  from  Si.  "  Walter,  where 
are  you  ?  " 

"  Here,"  answered  the  young  sailor. 

As  Walter  spoke,  one  of  the  rebels  seemed  to  rise 
up  almost  at  his  feet,  and  the  youth  saw  a  rifle 
pointed  directly  at  his  breast.  But  his  own  weapon 
was  up,  and  with  his  heart  in  his  throat  he  pulled  the 
trigger.  There  was  a  crack  and  a  flash,  and  Walter 
saw  the  Filipino  fall  back,  badly  wounded  in  the 
shoulder. 

"  Good  for  you,  lad ! "  cried  one  of  the  released 
prisoners,  and  with  a  bound  he  was  at  the  fallen 
one's  side  and  had  snatched  away  his  Mauser. 
Then  he,  too,  blazed  away,  and  a  rebel  who  was 
making  for  Si  dropped  in  his  tracks,  shot  through 
the  head. 


200  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

By  this  time  all  the  prisoners  were  aroused,  and 
they  called  to  be  released.  But  the  Filipinos 
gathered  in  front  of  them,  and  a  volley  was  fired 
at  our  friends  and  the  two  who  had  had  their 
bonds  cut.  The  volley  had  scarce  died  away, 
when  Walter  felt  a  dull  pain  in  his  thigh.  Put- 
ting down  his  hand,  he  brought  it  up  covered 
with  blood. 

"I  —  I  am  shot !  "  he  gasped. 

"Shot?"  repeated  Si.  "Oh,  Walter!  Is  it 
bad?" 

"It's  in  the  leg  —  I  don't  know  how  bad.  I've 
got  to  retreat."  And  then  Walter  backed  away 
into  the  jungle  behind  the  rocks,  limping  pain- 
fully, and  thinking  that  every  step  must  be  his 
last. 

"You're  a  brave  boy,  right  enough,"  cried  a 
voice  into  his  ear,  and  before  Walter  could  answer 
he  found  himself  raised  up  bodily  and  borne  along 
he  knew  not  to  where.  His  head  began  to  swim, 
and  presently  he  went  into  a  dreamy  state  border- 
ing upon  unconsciousness.  He  felt  the  bushes 
scratch  his  face  and  hands,  and  felt  the  warm 
blood  flowing  down  his  trousers  leg  to  his  foot. 
He  tried  to  rouse  himself,  but  could  not,  and  in  a 


THE   "  YORKTOWN  "   MEN  201 

listless  way  wondered  if  he  was  fatally  wounded 
and  if  this  state  was  the  beginning  of  death. 

When  Walter's  brain  began  to  clear,  he  found 
himself  flat  on  his  back  in  utter  darkness,  his 
head  resting  on  a  folded-up  sailor's  jacket,  and  his 
right  hand  held  by  the  tar  who  had  carried  him  off. 

"Where — am  —  I?"  he  asked  weakly. 

"  Hush  ! "  was  the  whispered  return.  "  Keep 
quiet,  and  you'll  be  all  right."  And  the  sailor  gave 
him  a  reassuring  clutch  of  the  hand.  A  long 
silence  followed,  during  which  the  youth  put  his 
hand  down  to  the  wound  in  his  thigh,  to  find  it 
tightly  bandaged. 

Fully  an  hour  went  by  before  the  lad  spoke 
again,  and  during  that  time  the  sailor  left  him 
several  times,  to  see  if  any  of  the  enemy  or  any 
of  their  friends  were  at  hand.  But  no  one 
appeared. 

"Where  is  Si?"  asked  Walter,  when  he  could 
stand  the  suspense  no  longer. 

"  Was  that  your  friend  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"I  don't  know  what  became  of  him,  lad.  The 
last  I  saw  he  was  fighting  hand  to  hand  with  that 
knife  he  carried." 


202  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

"And  what  of  that  other  prisoner  who  was  re- 
leased?" 

"He  ran  off  in  another  direction.  I  was  hoping 
some  of  them  would  come  this  way." 

"  Where  are  we  ?  " 

"In  a  hollow  under  a  big  cliff.  I  carried  you 
here  after  you  were  shot.      How  does  the  leg  feel  ?  " 

"I  can't  feel  anything." 

"  Humph  !  I  hope  the  wound  isn't  a  bad  one  ; 
for  if  it  is,  I  don't  know  what  we  will  do.  But 
tell  me,  how  did  you  come  here  —  miles  and  miles 
away  from  any  of  the  ships?" 

"It's  a  long  story.  We  were  on  a  transport 
bound  for  Manila  and  took  a  run  ashore,  and  the 
natives  came  after  us." 

"  What !  Then  you  didn't  come  from  one  of  the 
warships  of  the  squadron?" 

"  No.     Did  you  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  and  my  messmates  all  belong  to  the 
Yorktoivn.  Our  craft  was  on  the  Baler  River,  and 
fourteen  of  us,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Commander  Gillmore,  were  sent  out  in  a  cutter  to 
reconnoitre  up  the  stream.  We  went  up  a  pretty 
good  distance,  and  didn't  see  anything  to  alarm  us, 
when  all  of  a  sudden  we  were  attacked  from  both 


THE   "  Y0RKT0W3ST "   MEN  203 

sides.  Almost  a  hundred  rebels  were  in  the  bushes, 
and  they  pumped  out  so  much  lead  that  four  of 
our  men  were  killed  outright  and  several  of  them 
were  wounded.  I  got  a  nip  in  the  arm,  near  the 
elbow.  We  tried  our  best  to  fight  them  off,  and 
killed  at  least  half  a  dozen.  But  then  the  cutter 
got  to  leaking  so  fast  from  the  holes  shot  into  her 
that  she  sank  and  we  had  to  swim  for  it." 

"  And  how  many  of  you  were  taken  ?  only  the 
four  I  saw?" 

"  No,  seven  of  us  —  all  that  weren't  killed  or 
wounded,  including  our  commander,  who  fought 
as  pluckily  as  anybody  you  ever  saw.  When  we 
got  ashore  we  found  ourselves  in  the  hands  of  a 
Spanish  traitor  who  had  joined  the  rebels  some  time 
before.  He  was  very  brutal,  and  handled  us  like 
dogs." 

"But  didn't  your  ship  come  to  rescue  you?" 

"I  suppose  so;  but  we  were  marched  inland  in 
double-quick  order,  for  about  three  or  four  miles, 
to  a  hidden  camp  of  the  rebels.  There  we  were 
bound  hands  and  feet  and  used  about  as  meanly  as 
anybody  can  imagine.  The  Spaniard  was  in  com- 
mand, and  after  waiting  two  days  he  said  we 
were  all  to  be  shot." 


204       UNDER  MacARTHUK  IN"  LUZON 

"Shot?"  cried  Walter.  "But  they  didn't  carry 
the  order  into  execution." 

"  They  came  pretty  close  to  do  it,  lad.  We  were 
lined  up  and  blindfolded  and  told  to  get  ready  to 
die.  But  just  as  the  detail  was  on  the  point  of 
firing,  the  Spaniard  came  rushing  up  and  said  it 
was  not  to  be  —  that  the  execution  was  to  be 
delayed.  Then  we  were  marched  off,  through 
mud  and  water,  and  over  the  rocks,  to  San  Isidro, 
the  rebel  capital,  where  we  were  placed  in  prison, 
under  a  certain  General  Tiiio,  the  roughest  old 
dog  of  a  rebel  I  ever  clapped  eyes  on." 

"  While  you  were  at  San  Isidro,  did  you  see 
Aguinaldo?"  asked  Walter,  more  interested  than 
ever. 

"I  saw  him  once  and  tried  to  speak  to  him,  but 
he  wouldn't  listen  to  me  nor  to  anybody  else.  Our 
troops  were  pressing  him  hard,  and  I  reckon  he 
was  getting  ready  to  leave  for  parts  unknown.  We 
were  kept  at  San  Isidro  for  several  days,  and  then 
we  started  with  part  of  the  rebel  army  for  Vigan, 
which  we  reached  four  weeks  later,  ragged,  foot- 
sore, and  half  starved,  as  you  see  me  now.  Oh, 
but  we  suffered,  how  much  no  outsider  will  ever 
realize.     More  than  once  I  wished  I  was  dead." 


THE  "YORKTOWN"   MEN  205 

"  What  became  of  the  other  three  of  your  party  ?  " 

"I  believe  they  are  not  far  off,  for  we  were  gen- 
erally kept  pretty  close  together.  The  commander 
was  with  the  others.  We've  been  in  the  mountains 
so  long  now  that  I've  lost  track  of  time.  There 
are  other  prisoners,  too,  but  no  sailors." 

"Didn't  you  try  to  escape?" 

"  Bless  you,  yes,  more  than  a  dozen  times.  But 
the  guards  were  sharp,  and  when  one  or  another 
got  away  he  was  always  brought  back  and  treated 
to  the  worst  flogging  I  ever  witnessed.  One  man, 
one  of  the  soldiers  who  joined  us  after  we  left 
Vigan,  died  from  the  treatment." 

The  story  the  sailor  had  told  was  strictly  true, 
and,  it  may  be  added  here,  the  whole  tale  of  the 
capture  of  the  men  from  the  Yorktown,  their  fearful 
sufferings  for  eight  weary  and  heartrending  months, 
their  long  marches  through  jungles  and  swamps, 
and  their  final  rescue  by  a  detachment  of  soldiers 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  L.  H.  Hare,  reads 
far  more  like  some  romance  of  the  dark  ages  than 
a  narrative  of  present-day  facts.  They,  with  some 
other  prisoners,  were  taken  to  the  most  forlorn 
mountain  region  known,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Arbaluque  River,  and  here  their  captors  left  them 


206  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN"  LUZON" 

to  their  fate,  without  food  or  firearms,  and  with 
half  of  the  number  ready  to  drop  from  sickness 
and  exhaustion.  It  took  the  abandoned  ones  three 
days  to  gain  the  bank  of  the  stream,  in  the  mean- 
time living  on  nothing  but  berries  and  the  meat  of 
a  lame  horse  which  one  day  came  straying  toward 
them.  At  the  river  they  constructed  rafts,  but 
the  savage  natives  confronted  them,  and  all  they 
had  to  defend  themselves  with  were  stones  and 
clubs,  while  the  natives  wounded  several  of  the 
party  with  arrows  and  spears.  The  exhausted  ones 
would  surely  have  been  killed  to  a  man,  but  just 
then  some  shots  were  heard  in  the  natives'  rear, 
and  into  view  burst  the  party  under  Colonel  Hare, 
speedily  putting  the  Filipinos  to  flight. 

But  though  rescued,  the  ex-prisoners  were  by  no 
means  safe  and  free  from  sufferings.  The  rescuers 
were  also  out  of  food,  and  to  move  across  the  country 
was  now  becoming  impossible,  on  account  of  the 
heavy  rains.  Rafts  were  constructed  on  the  river, 
and  all  hands  embarked  for  a  trip  full  of  perils,  for 
the  current  ran  swiftly  and  more  than  one  raft  was 
overturned  in  the  rapids  through  which  they  had  to 
pass.  When  the  party  finally  got  back  to  the  coast  and 
among  friends,  every  man  was  more  dead  than  alive. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Walter's  wound 

"  Do  you  see  anything  of  them  yet,  Palmer  ? M 

"  Don't  see  a  soul,  Russell,"  replied  the  sailor  from 
the  YorJctown,  after  a  long  look  through  the  trees 
and  over  the  rocks.  "  My  idea  is  that  all  hands 
have  cleared  out  of  this  locality." 

Walter's  face  fell,  and  he  gave  a  deep  sigh.  "I 
was  in  hope  you  would  see  my  friend,"  he  murmured. 
He  felt  too  weak  to  do  much  talking. 

"Nobody  around;  I'm  dead  sure  on  that,"  re- 
turned the  sailor.  "But  don't  you  worry  —  I  don't 
think  Doring's  dead  —  nor  my  messmates  either." 

Morning  was  at  hand,  and  Walter  had  been  lying 
for  hours  just  where  Palmer  had  placed  him.  The 
wounded  limb  was  still  numb,  and  the  youth  was 
almost  afraid  to  stand  upon  it,  for  fear  of  starting 
the  flow  of  blood  afresh. 

Palmer  had  remained  on  guard  all  through  the 
darkness,  caring  for  Walter  in  the  meantime  with 
the  tenderness  of  a  woman.     He  was  a  big-framed 

207 


208  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

tar,  but  his  captivity  had  reduced  his  weight  greatly. 
He  had  told  Walter  that  he  had  not  had  a  square 
meal  for  several  weeks. 

"And  not  a  single  chaw  of  tobacco,"  he  had 
added.     "  And  that  was  as  bad  as  no  eating." 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  miss  the  tobacco,"  Walter  had 
returned,  "for  I  don't  use  the  weed.  But  I  know 
what  hunger  is,  too."  And  at  intervals  he  had  told 
the  details  of  his  story. 

What  to  do  next  neither  knew.  It  was  out  of  the 
question  for  Walter  to  journey  far,  if  indeed  he 
could  walk  at  all,  and  they  must  find  something  to 
eat.  Water  was  at  hand,  and  this  was  the  only 
comforting  thing  they  possessed. 

As  the  sun  mounted  in  the  sky,  Palmer  broached 
the  subject  of  returning  to  the  scene  of  the  fight. 
"  I'll  sneak  up  like  a  cat,"  he  said.  "  More  than 
likely  the  rebels  have  moved  on,  and  if  that's  so, 
I'll  see  if  I  can't  find  something  to  eat  lying 
around." 

He  was  soon  gone,  taking  the  rifle  Walter  had 
captured  with  him.  The  wounded  lad  listened  to 
his  retreating  footsteps,  and  then  all  became  as  silent 
as  a  tomb. 

Half  an  hour  went  by, — to  Walter  it  seemed  half 


Walter's  wound  209 

a  day,  —  and  still  the  silence  continued.  What  if 
the  sailor  should  lose  his  way  or  become  captured, 
and  so  never  come  back?  The  cold  perspiration 
gathered  on  Walter's  forehead  at  the  thought.  He 
was  helpless  —  he  could  not  do  the  first  thing  for 
himself.  He  would  have  to  remain  where  he  was, 
in  that  lonely  spot,  to  die ! 

"I  don't  believe  I'll  ever  get  to  see  Ben  and  Larry 
again,"  was  his  bitter  soliloquy.  "  And  they'll  never 
get  the  straight  of  it  how  I  died.  Oh,  if  only  this 
cruel  rebellion  was  over  and  we  were  all  safe  at 
home  once  more  ! " 

From  where  he  lay  Walter  could  see  over  several 
bushes  to  a  distant  hill,  overgrown  with  short  shrub- 
bery. Presently  he  made  out  a  movement  on  this 
hill. 

"  The  rebels ! "  he  muttered,  and  tried  to  raise 
himself  on  his  elbow.  He  was  right;  over  the  hill 
marched  a  band  of  sixteen  Filipinos  with  several 
prisoners  among  them.  The  whole  party  was  in 
sight  for  several  minutes.  Walter  tried  to  make  out 
the  faces  of  the  prisoners,  but  the  distance  baffled 
him. 

"  Si  may  be  among  them,"  he  mused.  "  Well,  it's 
hard  to  tell  who  is  the  worst  off  just  at  present." 


210  UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

At  last  Palmer  came  back,  with  his  arms  full  of 
things  he  had  picked  up.  "  Couldn't  see  a  sign  of 
anybody,"  he  declared.  "  They  have  left  the  vicin- 
ity entirely,  I  calculate." 

"  I  saw  some  of  them,"  answered  the  young  sailor, 
and  told  what  he  had  seen.     Palmer  nodded  gravely. 

"It  must  have  been  our  crowd.  Well,  we  can't 
follow  them,  —  at  least  not  now,  —  so  we  must  do 
the  next  best  thing.  I  struck  a  bit  of  luck,  boy, 
—  some  meat  and  rice,  and  onions  and  hardtack. 
We'll  have  a  fair  dinner,  after  all." 

The  meal  was  easily  prepared,  Palmer  making  a 
stew  such  as  sailors  like,  and  Walter  was  not 
backward  in  disposing  of  his  share.  The  stew 
strengthened  the  lad,  and  he  sat  up  for  several  hours 
afterward. 

"I  was  so  afraid  you  wouldn't  come  back — that 
something  might  happen  to  you,"  he  said,  while  eating. 

"  Avast,  lad,  do  you  think  I  would  desert  one  as 
did  so  much  for  me  ?  No ;  Bob  Palmer  ain't  that 
sort,  and  never  was  I " 

"  Then  you  will  stick  by  me  ?  " 

"  To  the  end,  lad,  and  there's  my  hand  on  it."  And 
the  tar  shoved  out  his  lean  fingers,  which  Walter 
grasped  warmly.      The   touch  was  an  honest  one 


Walter's  wound  211 

and  made  the  boy's  heart  much  lighter  than  it  had 
been  for  hours. 

Again  night  was  upon  them,  and  now  Palmer 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no  need  to 
remain  on  guard.  Stretching  himself  beside  Walter, 
he  was  soon  asleep,  and  presently  Walter  followed. 
Nothing  happened  to  disturb  them,  and  both  slept 
until  some  time  after  sunrise. 

Four  days  were  spent  in  the  shelter  under  the 
rocks,  and  during  that  time  Walter's  wound  grew 
well  rapidly.  It  had  been  but  a  glancing  shot,  and 
his  main  trouble  was  from  the  loss  of  blood.  Every 
day  Palmer  washed  the  wound  and  bound  it  up 
afresh,  in  linen  torn  from  the  shirts  of  both.  The 
sailor  from  the  Yorktown  was  a  natural  nurse,  and 
to  his  skill  was  largely  due  Walter's  recovery. 

During  the  time  spent  in  the  hollow  Palmer  had 
tried  his  hand  both  at  fishing  and  hunting  and  had 
brought  in  food  enough  to  feed  them  and  give  them 
provisions  for  several  days  to  come.  On  the  fourth 
day  Walter  tried  walking,  and  announced  that  he 
could  go  on,  but  it  must  be  slowly,  and  not  too  many 
miles  per  day  at  first. 

Palmer's  "  bump  of  locality "  was  well  developed, 
and  he  had  their  course  all  mapped  out.     "We'll 


212  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

move  directly  eastward  for  about  ten  or  twelve 
miles,"  he  said.  "  There  we  shall  come  to  a  fair- 
sized  river,  and  if  we  can  find  a  boat,  we'll  be  fixed, 
for  we  can  hide  in  the  daytime  and  float  down  the 
stream  at  night." 

Walter  had  thought  himself  very  brave  on  striking 
out,  but  before  half  a  mile  was  covered  he  was  pale 
and  so  exhausted  he  had  to  sit  down.  "I  —  I  don't 
seem  to  have  the  backbone  that  I  thought  I  had," 
he  panted. 

"  Take  it  easy,  lad,"  responded  Palmer.  "  Remem- 
ber the  old  proverb,  '  The  more  haste,  the  less  speed.' 
We  haven't  got  to  get  to  Manila  at  any  definite 
time." 

"But  I  want  to  get  out  of  this  horrible  country. 
I  declare,  if  I  ever  get  on  shipboard  again,  I'll  never 
want  to  go  ashore  —  at  least,  while  I  am  in  the 
Philippines." 

"It's  no  joke,  that's  certain,"  returned  the  old 
sailor.  "  When  we  left  the  Yorktown  for  that  scout- 
ing expedition,  I  never  dreamed  of  getting  in  such 
a  pickle  as  this,  not  me  !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  I'd  feel  so  bad  if  I  knew  Si  was 
safe.     He  was  my  chum,  you  know." 

"  Exactly;  and  two  of  those  other  prisoners  were 


WALTER'S  "WOUND  213 

my  chums  —  have  been  for  years.  It's  too  bad,  but 
we've  got  to  make  the  best  on  it,  and  not  cry  over 
spilt  milk." 

When  Walter  had  rested,  the  journey  was  re- 
sumed over  a  grassy  field  where  walking  was  fairly 
easy.  Then  they  reached  another  rocky  territory, 
and  here  Palmer  called  a  halt,  stating  that  the  youth 
had  done  enough  for  that  day. 

"  To-morrow,  if  you're  equal  to  it,  we  can  go  a  bit 
farther,"  he  observed.  "If  you  break  down,  you 
may  have  a  long  spell  of  sickness,"  he  added,  as 
he  looked  at  the  youth's  flushed  face,  where  the 
color  seemed  to  come  and  go. 

Two  more  days  slipped  by,  and  they  covered 
twenty  miles.  The  travelling  taxed  Walter  to  the 
utmost  and  made  him  feverish,  and  he  had  to  rest 
every  mile  or  two.  They  had  crossed  one  small 
stream,  but  this  was  not  large  enough  for  a  craft  of 
any  sort. 

The  day  following,  Palmer  went  on  ahead,  fearing 
they  were  journeying  into  a  territory  where  Walter 
could  not  travel.  Hardly  had  he  disappeared,  when 
he  came  back  full  of  excitement. 

"I've  struck  the  rebels  with  some  of  our  pris- 
oners!" he  cried. 


214  UNDER    MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  and  they  crept 
into  the  bushes.  Soon  they  heard  the  other  party 
approaching,  the  Filipinos  berating  their  captives 
roundly.  They  passed,  and  Palmer  crept  close  to 
Walter. 

"  There  is  one  of  my  chums,  and  Si  Doring,  too," 
he  whispered.  "I'm  going  to  follow  and  see  if  I 
can't  free  them."  And  before  the  lad  could  answer 
he  was   off. 

The  hours  and  the  night  to  follow  were  sickening 
ones  to  Walter.  Palmer  did  not  come  back,  and 
the  young  sailor  did  not  know  how  his  newly  made 
friend  had  been  discovered  and  captured  afresh. 
He  waited  and  waited,  his  heavy  eyes  refusing  to 
close  in  sleep,  and  his  ears  on  the  alert  for  the 
slightest  sound  which  might  indicate  the  sailor's 
return.  At  last  when  morning  came  and  the  sun 
arose,  he  threw  himself  down  on  the  grass  in  utter 
despair. 

"  He  is  gone  !  I  am  alone,  utterly  alone  ! "  Over 
and  over  he  echoed  the  words,  and  the  tears  came 
to  his  eyes  in  spite  of  himself.  Never  had  the  vast 
solitude  of  that  unbroken  country  so  impressed  him 
as  now.  As  far  as  his  eye  could  reach  he  saw 
nothing   but   hills   and   jungles,    grassy   plains    and 


WALTER'S   WOUND  215 

little  mountain  torrents.  Not  even  an  animal  was 
visible,  and  even  the  birds  seemed  scarce.  He  was 
truly  alone,  utterly  alone. 

"  I  must  follow  him  —  I  can't  remain  by  myself," 
such  was  his  next  thought,  and  picking  up  the  little 
provisions  they  had  been  carrying  he  tried  to  locate 
the  uncertain  trail.  At  that  moment  he  felt  he 
would  rather  be  a  prisoner  among  enemies  than  by 
himself. 

Less  than  quarter  of  a  mile  was  covered  and 
he  came  to  a  halt.  His  strength  was  gone  and  he 
could  go  no  farther.  The  trail,  too,  had  slipped  him, 
and  he  was  completely  turned  around  and  bewildered. 

He  gazed  around  again,  and  looking  down  the 
hillside,  made  out  a  collection  of  huts  and  houses 
far  below,  close  to  the  side  of  a  fair-sized  stream. 
Then  something  of  a  feeling  of  joy  took  possession 
of  him.  He  was  near  somebody,  somebody  —  it  did 
not  matter  whether  they  were  friends  or  foes.  Then 
of  a  sudden  a  dark  wave  passed  before  his  eyes, 
followed  by  a  flush  as  of  fire.  He  staggered,  tried 
to  save  himself,  and  then  pitched  forward  on  the 
sward,  completely  overcome. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

A   FRIEND    IN   NEED 

Walter  had  been  lying  where  he  fell  for  over  an 
hour  when  two  young  natives,  chancing  to  go  up 
the  hill  for  firewood,  discovered  his  body  and  went 
screaming  back  to  their  hut,  to  tell  the  news  to  their 
mother. 

"  An  Americano ! "  they  cried,  in  their  peculiar 
dialect.  "  An  American,  and  he  looks  as  if  he  was 
dead!" 

The  announcement  aroused  the  whole  of  the  sleepy 
village,  and  soon  a  party  of  two  women  and  two  old 
men  followed  the  children  up  the  hill.  The  young 
men  of  the  place  were  all  at  the  front  or  marching  to 
get  there. 

"  An  Americano  truly,"  said  one  of  the  old  men. 
"  And  he  is  not  dead." 

"  Then  what  ails  him  ?  "  asked  the  other  old  man, 

as  he  shook  the  young  sailor.     "  He  does  not  seem  to 

be  wounded,  either." 

216 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  217 

They  made  an  examination,  and  one  of  the  women 
came  and  placed  her  hand  on  Walter's  forehead. 
"  Ah,  as  I  thought,  the  pig  has  a  fever !  And  he  is 
going  to  have  it  worse.     Perhaps  he  will  die." 

"Small  loss  if  he  does  die,"  growled  the  second 
woman,  as  she,  too,  felt  of  the  young  sailor's  fore- 
head. "  Do  you  think  he  is  one  of  the  prisoners  who 
got  away  from  Corel's  party,  Banno  ?  " 

"  'Tis  not  unlikely,"  answered  the  old  man  ad- 
dressed. "  But  he  is  young  to  be  a  prisoner.  What 
shall  we  do  with  him  ?  " 

Soon  several  others  came  up  from  the  village,  and 
all  gathered  around  the  prostrate  form. 

"  How  white  he  is  !  "  whispered  one  big  boy.  "  I 
thought  all  Americanos  were  red  and  wore  feathers 
in  their  hair  and  painted  their  faces."  His  mistake 
was  a  common  one  among  the  ignorant  Filipinos, 
who  think  of  Uncle  Sam's  people  as  an  offshoot  of 
the  Indians.  One  child  after  another  dared  his 
companions  to  touch  the  body,  but  each  shrank  back, 
fearing  some  evil  knosha,  or  "hoodoo,"  would  fall 
upon  him. 

At  length  a  tall,  thin  woman  with  a  rough,  red 
scar  on  her  face  broke  through  the  crowd,  which 
readily  parted  to  give  her  passage.     "  What  is  the 


218  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

trouble  here  ?  "  she  demanded,  in  a  cold,  quick  voice, 
as  if  she  was  used  to  playing  the  mistress. 

"  Un  Americano"  replied  one  of  the  old  men,  with 
a  low  salute. 

"  And  where  did  he  come  from  ?  " 

"  We  do  not  know.  We  found  him  here  exactly 
as  you  see  him.  He  seems  to  be  down  with  the  first 
stroke  of  a  fever." 

"  Then  he  must  be  one  of  the  prisoners  who  es- 
caped —  or  else  he  got  so  sick  that  they  abandoned 
him."  The  woman  with  the  scar  took  a  step  for- 
ward and  looked  closely  at  Walter's  face.  "  Impos- 
sible !  "  she  ejaculated.     "  And  yet  how  like  !  " 

"  How  like  what  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  other  women. 

"It  does  not  concern  you,  Bamrogina."  The 
woman  with  the  scar  turned  to  the  men.  "  Carry  him 
down  to  my  house.  No  one  shall  say  that  he  was 
left  to  die  like  a  sick  dog  within  sight  of  Biloguana. 
'Twould  bring  evil  to  us  all." 

"  You  will  take  the  pig  to  your  house  ?  "  shrieked 
the  woman  called  Bamrogina. 

"Yes." 

"  And  nurse  him  back  to  life  —  that  he  may  kill 
our  husbands  and  sons  ?  " 

"  We  can  keep  him  a  prisoner,  if  it  be  necessary." 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  219 

Bamrogina  shrugged  her  greasy  brown  shoulders. 
"  As  you  will,  —  but  I  shall  not  touch  him.  He  shall 
rot  first  and  the  birds  can  fly  away  with  his  meat." 

"  The  men  shall  carry  him.  Come,  take  hold,  or 
it  will  be  too  late  to  do  anything." 

"  You  were  at  Manila,  Sefiora  Garabella,"  went  on 
the  fat  woman,  suspiciously.  "  Perhaps  you  know 
the  pig." 

"  I  do  not  —  although  he  looks  very  much  like  an 
Americano  that  did  me  a  great  service.  It  is  because 
of  this  that  I  take  pity  on  him." 

But  little  more  was  said,  Inez  Garabella  being  in 
no  humor  for  further  talking.  Soon  the  old  men 
were  on  their  way  to  the  village,  carrying  Walter 
between  them.  Passing  the  single  street  with  its 
irregular  row  of  nipa  huts,  they  came  to  a  house  of 
fair  pretentions  situated  in  a  garden  which  had  once 
been  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  now,  however, 
greatly  dilapidated. 

"  Place  him  upon  yonder  couch,"  said  Sefiora 
Garabella.  "  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  him,  and  you 
can  watch  out  that  he  does  not  escape,"  she  added, 
half  sarcastically ;  and  then  one  after  another  the 
neighbors  withdrew,  leaving  Walter  and  the  lady 
and  the  two  servants  of  the  place  to  themselves. 


220  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

Inez  Garabella  had  spoken  the  truth  when  she 
said  that  the  strong  resemblance  between  Walter  and 
Captain  Ben  made  her  take  an  interest  in  the  young 
sailor.  She  had  gotten  home  from  Manila  but  a  few 
days  before,  and  the  memory  of  what  the  captain  had 
done  for  her  at  the  deserted  monastery  was  still 
fresh  in  her  mind. 

"  No  matter  if  they  are  utter  strangers,  I  will  do 
what  I  can  for  the  poor  boy,"  she  told  herself.  "  He 
may  be  a  prisoner  of  war,  but  he  shall  not  be  used 
worse  than  a  lame  caribao,"  and  she  set  to  work  to 
nurse  Walter  without  delay. 

As  the  others  had  said,  the  young  tar  was  in  for 
a  fever,  brought  on  partly  by  the  wound  he  had 
suffered  and  partly  by  his  travelling  in  the  heat.  As 
soon  as  he  came  out  of  his  semi-unconscious  state  he 
began  to  rave  and  throw  himself,  and  it  took  the  lady 
of  the  house  and  the  strongest  serving-maid  to  hold 
him  down. 

"  Don't  leave  me  !  "  he  would  cry.  "  Oh,  Si ! 
Palmer  !  don't  leave  me !  Shoot  me,  if  you  wish, 
but  don't  leave  me !  "  And  then  his  mood  would 
change.  "  See !  see !  the  ship  is  sailing  and  the 
natives  are  coming  back  !  Run,  run,  or  we'll  be 
caught  and  slaughtered.      Where  is  the  water,  Si? 


A   FRIEND   IN   NEED  221 

Leave  some  for  your  old  chum,  Walter  Russell ! 
Oh,  how  dry  I  am,  and  you  have  drunk  the  last 
drop !  Si,  as  sure  as  my  name  is  Walter  Russell 
we'll  never  reach  Manila,  and  I'll  never  see  Larry 
and  Ben  again  !  " 

Inez  Garabella  listened  to  his  ravings  with  inter- 
est. She  could  make  out  but  little  of  what  was 
said,  but  she  understood  the  name  Russell  and 
smiled  faintly. 

"I  was  not  mistaken,"  she  told  herself.  "They 
are  of  the  same  name.  They  must  be  brothers, 
or  cousins.  Now  I  will  surely  do  all  I  can  for 
him." 

She  was  indeed  "a  friend  in  need"  and  at  a 
time  when  Walter  needed  such  a  friend  greatly. 
The  poor  boy  had  the  fever,  and  in  addition  his 
wound  needed  skilful  medical  attention.  For 
days  he  raved  upon  his  bed  of  sickness,  and  some- 
body had  to  watch  him  constantly.  The  native 
doctor  could  do  -but  little,  and  even  that  was 
done  unwillingly,  and  would  not  have  been  done 
at  all  had  not  the  lady  of  the  house  paid  him  well 
for  his  services. 

At  last  came  the  day  when  the  fever  was  at  its 
worst,  and  for  twenty-four  hours  it  was  a  question 


222  UNDER  MacAKTHTJK  in  ltjzon 

whether  Walter  would  live  or  die.  He  was  now 
reduced  to  a  skeleton,  and  for  days  had  known 
nobody  and  would  touch  nothing  but  water.  Then 
came  a  change,  and  he  sank  into  a  natural  sleep 
—  the  first  he  had  experienced  since  being  brought 
to  the  house. 

When  Walter  opened  his  eyes  the  next  morn- 
ing, he  gazed  around  him  in  bewilderment.  He 
lay  upon  a  rattan  couch  in  the  centre  of  a  some- 
what bare  apartment.  Close  at  hand  was  a  win- 
dow overlooking  a  sparkling  river.  From  a  distance 
came  the  calls  of  several  children  playing  some  game. 

"Where  am  I?"  he  asked  himself,  and  then 
called  weakly,  "  Si ! " 

"You  are  bettair?"  asked  a  voice  beside  him, 
and  turning  he  saw  a  girl  of  twelve  sitting  there. 
Her  name  was  Rosa,  and  she  was  a  relative  of  Inez 
Garabella,  from  Manila,  and  could  speak  English 
fairly  well. 

"What  did  you  say?"  he  questioned,  still 
bewildered. 

"I  said  you  are  bettair.  You  haf  been  sick  — 
verra  sick.  My  aunt,  she  bring  you  here,  and  we 
nurse  you." 

"Have  I  been  sick?     How  long?" 


A   FEIEND   IN  NEED  223 

"'Tis  nearly  three  weeks  now.  You  have  a 
high  fever  and  a  bad  leg." 

"I  was  shot  in  the  leg.  And  so  I  had  a  fever?" 
He  mused  for  a  moment,  trying  vainly  to  get  back 
his  thoughts.     "Where  is  Si?     And  Palmer?" 

The  girl  shook  her  head.  Then  she  arose,  went 
to  the  doorway,  which  was  covered  with  a  bamboo 
and  bead  curtain,  and  called  Senora  Garabella,  who 
came  quickly.     A  short  talk  in  Spanish  followed. 

"  Oh,  I  remember  now,"  came  presently  from 
Walter.  "I  was  running  after  Palmer,  when  the 
whole  world  seemed  to  turn  upside  down,  all  in  a 
second.  I  was  awfully  weak.  Did  you  see  any- 
thing of  my  friends?  I  mean  Si  Doring  and  that 
big  sailor,  Palmer.  Palmer  got  away  from  the 
rebels,  and  we  were  going  to  release  some  others," 
he  rattled  on,  the  color  rising  in  his  face. 

"  Hush ! "  said  the  girl.  "  My  aunt  say  you 
must  keep  quiet,  or  you  will  be  sick  a  second  time. 
She  say  you  can  talk  to-morrow."  And  there  the 
conversation  came  to  an  end.  Walter  dozed  off, 
and  it  was  nightfall  before  he  again  opened  his 
eyes.  Then  he  partook  of  some  nourishment  and 
dropped  off  once  more,  this  time  in  a  sleep  which 
did  him  a  world  of  good. 


224  UNDER   MacABTHUE,   IN  LUZON 

The  next  day  Inez  Garabella  questioned  him, 
through  her  niece,  and  learned  who  he  was  and 
how  he  had  come  in  the  neighborhood. 

"  My  aunt,  she  know  one  Oapitan  Russell,"  said 
Rosa.  "She  want  to  know  if  you  and  the  capitan 
are  of  the  same  family." 

"  Captain  Russell !  "  ejaculated  Walter.  "  He  is 
my  brother ! " 

When  told  of  this,  Inez  Garabella  smiled  and 
clasped  her  hands  together.  "  I  knew  it,"  she  cried 
in  Spanish.  "I  knew  it!  They  look  so  much 
alike." 

Through  Rosa  she  told  to  Walter  her  story  of 
the  meeting  in  the  monastery  and  of  how  Ben  had 
foiled  Barnabas  Moval's  base  designs.  "My  aunt, 
she  is  deeply  grateful  to  your  brother  for  that," 
said  Rosa.  "  And  in  return  she  will  be  your 
friend." 

"She  has  done  a  good  deal  for  me  already.  I 
shall  never  forget  her  kindness.  I  presume  those 
villagers  would  have  left  me  to  die  where  I  fell." 

Walter  then  asked  about  the  other  prisoners  and 
about  Si,  but  could  learn  nothing  of  them.  The 
rebel  army  was  not  in  the  neighborhood,  having 
begun  to  concentrate   along  the  shore  of  the  Lin- 


A  FRIEND   IN  NEED  225 

gayen  Gulf,  hoping  to  attack  General  MacArthur, 
at  a  favorable  moment,  from  the  northwest. 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  me  ? "  he 
asked,  later  on. 

At  this  Inez  Garabella  shook  her  head  sadly. 

"  She  does  not  know,"  said  Rosa.  "  She  says  the 
house  is  watched  from  the  outside  by  nearly  all 
of  those  left  in  the  village,  and  if  you  try  to  get 
away,  they  will  pounce  upon  you  and  cast  you 
into  prison." 

"Do  you  consider  me  a  prisoner  of  war?" 

"No,  no,  she  would  let  you  go  —  if  she  could. 
But  she  is  powerless  to  deal  with  those  in  the 
village." 

"Then  I've  got  to  stay  here?" 

"What  else  is  there  to  do?  If  you  try  to  run 
away,  you  are  so  weak  you  would  soon  be  sick 
again  —  or  they  might  shoot  you  down.  You  had 
better  remain  here  for  the  present,  so  my  aunt,  she 
says." 

And  so  it  was  arranged.  But  Walter  longed  to 
see  Larry  and  Ben,  and  the  days  dragged  heavily 
upon  his  hands. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

GENERAL  MacAKTHUR'S   ADVANCE 

So  far  there  had  been  several  breaks  in  the 
rainy  season,  thus  allowing  the  American  troops  to 
make  movements  of  more  or  less  importance.  But 
now  the  wet  spell  set  in  steadily,  and  any  move- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  soldiers  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  whole  of  the  Philippine  Islands  were 
flooded,  the  water  rising  in  the  Laguna  de  Bay  to 
such  an  extent  that  several  villages  were  swept 
away.  In  Manila  Bay  the  damage  done  to  the 
shipping  was  extensive,  the  loss  including  a  ware- 
house stored  with  government  goods. 

Under  such  circumstances  our  soldiers  could  sim- 
ply grin  and  bear  it,  as  the  saying  goes.  Those 
who  were  at  the  barracks  in  Manila  and  other  cities 
were  well  enough  off,  but  those  in  the  villages  and 
in  the  field  were  far  from  comfortable.  The  rainy 
season  added  to  the  sickness,  until  the  hospitals 
at   Manila  became   so   crowded    those   in  authority 

scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with  the  patients. 

226 


GENERAL  MacARTHTJR'S   ADVANCE  227 

The  rainy  season  was  one  of  unusual  cheerless- 
ness  to  Ben  and  Larry,  for  so  far  nothing  had  been 
heard  concerning  Walter  excepting  that  he  had 
disappeared  ashore,  and  that  it  was  more  than 
likely  the  young  sailor  had  been  killed  in  the  run- 
ning fight  with  the  Negritos.  Both  of  the  Russells 
had  questioned  those  on  the  Central  closely  but  with- 
out further  satisfaction. 

"He's  gone — that's  all  there  is  to  it,"  said  Larry, 
with  trembling  lips.  "  Poor  Walter,  we'll  never  see 
him  again." 

Ben  heaved  a  long  sigh.  "You  must  be  right, 
Larry.  If  only  he  had  remained  at  home  with 
Uncle  Job!" 

For  a  month  after  the  fighting  on  the  Zapote 
River  the  regiment  to  which  Ben  was  attached 
remained  in  that  vicinity.  In  the  meantime  Larry 
returned  to  Manila  and  was  placed  on  the  Charles- 
ton, then  doing  duty  along  the  coast.  Thus  the 
two  brothers  were  once  more  separated,  not  to  meet 
again  for  some  time  to  come. 

During  the  rainy  season  everything  possible  was 
done  to  make  the  insurgents  throw  down  their 
arms,  and  in  Manila  the  Filipinos  were  instructed 
in  the  art  of  self-government.      Yet  this   had  no 


228  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

effect  upon  Aguinaldo  and  his  followers,  then  safe 
at  Tarlac  and  in  the  mountains  behind  that  town. 
He  wanted  absolute  freedom  or  nothing,  and  de- 
clared that  he  would  fight  to  the  very  last  to  obtain 
it.  Certainly  such  qualities  must  be  admired  in 
any  man,  even  though  his  judgment  be  questioned. 

It  was  not  until  November  5  that  the  autumnal 
campaign  of  1899  opened  in  the  Philippines.  In 
the  meantime  Ben's  regiment  had  been  sent  north, 
to  join  the  forces  under  General  MacArthur,  for  a 
vigorous  attack  was  to  be  made  upon  Aguinaldo's 
stronghold,  and  all  the  troops  available  were  to  be 
used  for  that  purpose. 

The  attack  was  to  come  from  three  quarters,  and 
the  intention  was,  if  possible,  to  surprise  the  insur- 
gents and  hem  them  in.  The  main  body  of  rebels 
still  rested  at  Tarlac  and  in  the  mountains  nearest 
to  the  seacoast.  It  was  ordered  by  General  Otis 
that  General  MacArthur  march  from  Angeles  up 
the  railroad  leading  to  Dagupan,  thus  striking  the 
insurgents  on  the  south;  General  Lawton,  with 
some  cavalry,  was  to  attack  from  a  point  twenty- 
two  miles  east  of  the  railroad,  and  guard  the  moun- 
tain passes  in  that  neighborhood  ~,  while  General 
Wheaton,  sailing   from   Manila   to   Lingayen  Gulf, 


GENERAL  MaoARTHUR's   ADVANCE  229 

should  land  his  forces  at  San  Fabian  beach  and 
press  the  rebels  from  the  west.  Thus  it  was  hoped 
Aguinaldo's  main  army  would  be  hemmed  in  and 
forced  to  surrender. 

General  Arthur  MacArthur,  Ben's  new  commander, 
had  been  conspicuous  in  Philippine  warfare  ever  since 
the  outbreak  of  February  4.  He  was  a  born  soldier, 
having  entered  the  Civil  War  as  first  lieutenant  of 
the  Twenty-fourth  Wisconsin  Infantry  when  but 
seventeen  years  of  age.  A  year  later,  for  conspicu- 
ous bravery,  he  was  decorated  with  a  medal  of  honor, 
and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  became  the  commander 
of  a  regiment  which  accomplished  much  under  his 
daring  leadership.  When  the  great  rebellion  ended, 
he  entered  the  regular  service  as  a  lieutenant,  but 
speedily  arose  to  the  position  of  captain.  From 
this  his  progress  was  steady  until,  when  the  trouble 
in  the  Philippines  broke  out,  he  was  sent  to  the 
islands  as  a  brigadier  general  of  volunteers.  For  ser- 
vices at  the  taking  of  the  capital  he  was  appointed 
major-general  of  volunteers  by  President  McKinley. 
Although  over  fifty  years  of  age,  he  was  in  the  prime 
of  manhood  and  as  full  of  vigor  and  dash  as  ever. 

The  transfer  to  Angeles  was  not  unwelcome  to  Ben, 
for  this  meant  getting  closer  to  the  territory  where 


230  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Walter  had  disappeared,  and  he  still  hoped,  though 
faintly,  to  obtain  some  tidings  of  his  lost  brother. 
He  felt  especially  lonely,  now  that  Larry,  too,  was 
gone. 

"  It's  the  uncertainty  that  hurts,"  he  said  one  day, 
to  Gilbert.  "  If  Walter  is  alive,  who  can  tell  what  he 
is  suffering,  as  a  prisoner  of  those  savage  Filipinos  ? 
You  know  how  brutally  they  have  treated  some  of 
their  prisoners." 

"  You  must  hope  for  the  best,  Ben,"  replied  the 
young  Southerner,  kindly.  "And  above  all,  don't 
allow  your  mind  to  brood  over  this  too  much."  And 
he  did  his  best  to  cheer  the  captain  up. 

The  march  of  the  regiment  was  a  little  to  the  east 
of  the  Manila-Dagupan  railroad,  over  paddy  fields 
and  through  low  brush  which  had  something  of  a 
familiar  look  to  Ben,  who  had  covered  the  territory 
before.  At  a  small  village  on  the  bank  of  a  creek, 
running  parallel  to  the  tracks,  the  soldiers  turned  off, 
with  orders  to  take  the  town  of  Magalang,  where  the 
rebels  had  some  strong  intrenchments.  It  was  hardly 
presumed  that  the  Filipinos  would  offer  any  resistance, 
and  when  they  opened  a  sudden  fire,  it  came  some- 
what as  a  surprise. 

M  We  are  up  against  it  once  more ! "  cried  Major 


GENERAL  MacARTHUR'S  ADVANCE  231 

Morris,  as  he  passed  Ben.  "  Now,  I  want  this  bat- 
talion to  give  a  good  account  of  itself." 

"  I  shall  do  my  best,  major,"  answered  the  young 
captain.  Then  the  order  to  advance  came,  and  the 
soldiers  spread  out  in  a  long  skirmish  line. 

There  was  a  small  hill  just  in  front  of  the  town, 
covered  with  long  grass  much  beaten  down  by  former 
rains.  As  Ben's  command  moved  forward,  twenty 
yards  at  a  time,  the  young  captain  noticed  that  the 
grass  seemed  much  cut  up. 

"It's  not  natural,"  he  told  himself,  yet,  for  the 
time  being,  he  could  not  make  out  what  it  meant. 

"  Hike  her  up  !  "  was  the  old  cry,  yet  the  soldiers 
could  not  do  much  "  hiking,"  for  the  reason  that  the 
insurgents  were  strongly  intrenched.  There  was  a 
natural  wall  of  rock  at  hand,  and  this  had  been  height- 
ened by  bags  of  sand  and  dirt,  making  quite  a  respec- 
table fortification. 

"Will,  I  niver,  captain,  did  ye  see  that?"  came 
suddenly  in  a  cry  from  Dan  Casey. 

"What  was  it,  Casey?" 

"  Sure,  an'  the  grass  is  full  av  powdher,  or  somethin' 
like  it." 

"Powder?     Where?" 

"  There  was  a  bullet  struck  yonder  stone,  an'  whin 


232  UNDER  MaoARTHTJR  IN  LUZON 

the  fire  flew,  it  sint  up  a  blaze  like  powdher  burnin'. 
I'm  afther  thinkin'  —  " 

Dan  Casey  got  no  further,  for  just  then  there  was 
a  flash  and  a  roar  in  the  grass  not  fifty  yards  from 
where  the  young  captain  and  his  corporal  were  stand- 
ing. One  private  was  badly  burned  and  ran  off 
shrieking  with  pain. 

"  They  have  mined  this  field ! "  ejaculated  Ben, 
and  ran  with  all  speed  to  Major  Morris.  "  Major,  we 
must  retreat !  "  he  yelled. 

"Retreat?  Are  you  mad,  Captain  Russell?"  cried 
the  commander  of  the  first  battalion. 

"  No,  I  am  not  mad.  This  field  has  been  mined  — 
some  of  the  powder  just  went  off.     If  we  —  " 

Boom !  It  was  another  explosion,  and  not  a  great 
distance  from  where  Major  Morris  stood.  The  air 
was  filled  with  flying  stones  and  dirt,  and  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  many  of  those  close  at  hand 
turned  pale.  Here  was  something  new  in  Filipino 
warfare. 

"  Dot  peats  poisoned  veils,"  came  from  Carl  Stum- 
mer.     "  Vot  ve  do  —  go  ahead  annahow  ?  " 

Another  roar  followed,  and  the  command  was 
ordered  to  retreat  with  all  possible  speed.  At  this 
the  rebels  let  out  a  mad  yelling,  thinking  the  day 


*'  Gangway  for  General  MacAethur  !  "  was  the  cry      Page  233 


GENERAL  MacARTHTJR'S  ADVANCE  233 

won.  Some  appeared  at  the  top  of  their  intrench- 
ments,  but  the  American  sharpshooters  quickly  picked 
them  off. 

The  course  of  our  troops  was  now  to  the  eastward, 
around  a  jungle  partly  in  the  water,  and  then  up  a 
small  hill  filled  with  loose  stones.  Everybody  was 
angry  over  the  trick  which  had  been  played,  and  all 
were  aching  to  "  square  accounts,"  as  Major  Morris 
expressed  it.  The  soldiers  went  forward  with  a  rush 
and  with  little  regard  for  military  formation.  To 
many  it  was  a  go-as-you-please  affair,  and  the  best 
man  was  the  one  to  get  to  the  enemy  first. 

The  top  of  the  hill  gained,  the  Americans  found 
themselves  to  one  side  of  the  rebel  intrenchments  and 
facing  several  old  cannon  which  had  done  duty  in 
Spanish  service  years  before.  There  was  a  small 
church  to  one  side  of  the  hill,  and  here  were  located 
a  company  of  Tagalog  sharpshooters,  who  began  fir- 
ing as  soon  as  the  first  of  our  soldiers  showed  him- 
self. 

"  Gangway  for  General  MacArthur !  "  was  the  cry 
from  those  in  the  rear,  and  presently  the  commander 
of  the  column  dashed  into  view,  followed  by  several 
of  his  staff. 

"  Colonel  Darcy,  you  will  send  two  battalions  to 


234  UNDER    MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

surround  yonder  church,"  was  the  command  of  the 
general.  "  The  remaining  battalion  can  move  across 
the  hill  to  that  first  rise.  A  battalion  of  regulars 
will  join  you  in  a  few  minutes."  And  then  the  gen- 
eral was  off  to  another  portion  of  the  field. 

The  colonel  lost  no  time  in  following  out  Gen- 
eral MacArthur's  orders,  and  the  battalions  to  be 
sent  over  to  the  church  were  the  first  and  the 
third — they  containing  the  best  marksmen  in  the 
regiment. 

To  surround  the  church  was  easy,  but  Colonel 
Darcy  knew  well  enough  that  he  was  expected  not 
alone  to  surround  the  edifice,  but  to  capture  its 
defenders  as  well,  if  the  deed  could  be  accomplished. 
This  was  a  dangerous  piece  of  work,  and  he  looked 
questioningly  at  his  men. 

"It's  all  right,  colonel;  I  know  the  men  will  do  it," 
whispered  Major  Morris,  for  he  and  his  superior  were 
very  intimate. 

"  I  don't  want  half  the  command  killed,"  was  the 
slow  answer.     "  We  have  lost  men  enough." 

With  caution  the  two  battalions  moved  closer  to 
the  church,  taking  advantage  of  every  tree  and  bush, 
rock  and  stone  wall.  The  sharpshooters,  however, 
saw  them  coming,  and   kept  up   a  constant  crack  ! 


GENERAL   MacAETHUR's   ADVANCE  235 

crack  I  with  their  Mausers.  Evidently  they  did  not 
intend  to  give  ground  without  a  bitter  struggle. 

Presently  Ben's  company  reached  a  stone  wall 
which  ran  at  right  angles  to  the  church.  The  wall 
was  joined  to  a  stone  shed,  and  there  was  a  second 
wall  reaching  to  the  rear  door  of  the  church  itself. 

"  Be  careful,  boys,"  said  the  young  captain. 
"Don't  take  too  much  for  granted.  Those  rebels 
may  be  planning  a  surprise." 

He  had  hardly  spoken,  when  several  reports  rang 
out,  and  the  bullets  hit  the  stone  wall  just  in  front  of 
the  captain  and  his  men.  Only  the  gun  barrels  of 
the  enemy  were  visible,  and  the  Americans  did  not, 
therefore,  return  the  shots. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

IN  "WHICH  MAGALANG   IS  TAKEN 

"What  do  you  think  of  this,  Ben?"  asked  Gil- 
bert, as  he  and  his  company  came  up. 

"  Those  rebels  mean  business,"  answered  the  young- 
captain.  "  They  are  evidently  the  cream  of  the  Fili- 
pino sharpshooters." 

"  Perhaps  they  are  the  fellows  you  met  when  you 
were  out  with  poor  Gilmore." 

"If  they  are,  I  sincerely  hope  we'll  bag  them," 
was  the  quick  reply. 

No  more  could  be  said,  and  a  moment  later  Ben 
found  himself  at  the  end  of  the  stone  wall  and  close 
to  the  shed  previously  mentioned.  The  Filipinos 
had  now  ceased  firing,  and  for  the  time  being  hardly 
a  sound  of  any  sort  was  to  be  heard  in  the  vicinity, 
although  there  was  a  steady  cracking  of  firearms  in 
the  vicinity  of  Magalang  proper,  showing  that  Gen- 
eral MacArthur  was  pushing  the  attack  with  vigor. 

Facing  the  field  which  the  soldiers  of  the  first  bat- 
talion occupied  was  a  small  ditch,  and  opposite  was 
an   iron   door,  communicating  with  the  stone  shed. 

236 


IN  WHICH  MAGALANG  IS  TAKEN  287 

This  door  stood  partly  open,  and  crawling  up  from 
the  ditch  Carl  Stummer  and  Dan  Casey  peeped  into 
the  stone  shed,  to  find  it  dark  inside. 

"  Sure,  an'  it's  all  right,"  cried  Casey  to  those  left 
along  the  wall  and  in  the  ditch,  and  boldly  entered 
the  shed,  followed  by  Stummer.  Scarcely  were  they 
in  the  building  than  the  iron  door  closed  with  a  loud 
bang  and  each  soldier  was  grabbed  from  the  rear  in 
the  utter  darkness. 

"  Trapped !  "  yelled  the  Irish  volunteer,  and  strug- 
gled with  might  and  main  to  release  himself.  Stum- 
mer also  tried  to  cry  out,  but  a  pair  of  bony  hands 
were  at  his  throat,  and  he  could  scarcely  breathe. 
Both  of  our  friends  turned  and  twisted  and  wrestled 
with  all  the  skill  they  possessed,  but  they  were  but 
two  to  five,  and  were  at  last  overpowered  by  heavy 
blows  on  the  head  and  shoulders. 

In  the  meantime  Ben  had  been  close  to  the  door- 
way, and  he  heard  the  iron  barrier  shut  and  caught 
the  semi-muffled  cry  from  Dan  Casey.  Without  hesi- 
tation he  ran  up  to  the  door  and  pushed  upon  it  with 
all  of  his  strength.  It  was  bolted  and  refused  to 
budge. 

"  Open  up !  "  he  commanded  sharply.  "  Open 
up,   or  it   will   be  the   worse   for  you ! "     Nobody 


238  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

paid  attention  to  his  cry,  and  again  he  hurled  himself 
at  the  door,  but  all  in  vain. 

"What's  up?"  asked  several,  coming  to  the  scene. 
"  Who's  in  there,  captain  ?  " 

"  Stummer  and  Casey  —  the  Filipinos  have  caught 
them.  Who  will  follow  me  over  the  wall  to  rescue 
them?" 

"I  will!"  "So  will  I!"  "Count  on  me!" 
Such  were  some  of  the  answers  received  from  eight 
of  the  company  members.  Waiting  for  nothing 
more,  Ben  stepped  back,  made  a  leap  and  clutched 
the  top  of  the  wall  with  his  hands.  A  soldier  gave 
him  a  boost,  and  in  return  he  gave  the  private  a  hand 
up.  Soon  the  others  were  coming  over  the  wall  like 
so  many  monkeys. 

But  the  sharpshooters  had  spotted  the  movement, 
quick  as  it  was,  and  three  shots  rang  out,  and  one 
man  was  hit  in  the  leg  and  had  to  fall  back  on  the 
outer  side  of  the  enclosure.  Ben  felt  a  bullet  brush 
his  cheek,  and  putting  up  his  hand  withdrew  it 
covered  with  blood. 

"  You  are  hit,  cap,"  came  from  one  of  the  men. 

"It's  only  a  scratch,  Leary.  Come  —  the  shed! 
Quick!" 

The  private  understood,  and  followed  Ben  around 


IN   WHICH   MAGALANG  IS   TAKEN  239 

the  corner  of  the  building,  which  stood  at  such  an 
angle  that  one  side  was  out  of  sight  of  the  windows 
of  the  church.  Only  a  few  feet  away  was  the  inner 
door  of  the  shed,  and  this  stood  open  for  the  space  of 
several  inches. 

"  What's  the  next  move,  cap  ?  "  was  the  question 
put  to  Ben  by  the  men,  all  in  a  bunch.  "  Shall  we 
rush  for  the  shed?" 

"Yes,  but—     Down!" 

As  Ben  finished,  he  shoved  back  the  man  next  to 
him,  and  all  dropped  quickly,  for  they  understood  by 
the  young  captain's  manner  that  something  unusual 
was  on  the  wing.  Several  sharpshooters  had  come 
up  out  of  a  trap-door  upon  the  roof  of  the  church. 
A  rapid  volley,  which  hit  nobody,  and  the  rebels 
started  to  withdraw. 

Ben's  blood  was  up,  and  like  a  flash  he  aimed  his 
pistol  and  pulled  the  trigger  twice  in  rapid  succes- 
sion. Two  of  the  privates  fired  immediately  after, 
and  one  of  the  sharpshooters  was  hit  in  the  abdomen. 
His  friends  tried  to  drag  him  back  to  a  place  of 
safety,  but  they  missed  their  grip  upon  him,  and 
slowly  he  slid  from  the  trap-door  to  the  edge  of  the 
church  roof,  where  he  hung  suspended  for  a  full 
minute  in  mid-air,  shrieking  for  help.     But  no  one 


240  UNDER   MacARTHUR   AT   LUZON 

could  assist  him,  and  with  a  last  cry  he  fell  to  the 
ground  with  a  dull  thud,  to  rise  no  more. 

"  Horrible  !  "  gasped  Ben,  who  could  not  help  but 
see  the  fall,  and  he  shivered  with  the  awfulness  of 
the  scene.  Then,  without  taking  time  for  a  second 
thought,  he  ran  into  the  open  and  leaped  for  the 
shed  door,  with  Leary  the  private  on  his  heels. 

A  sight  equally  thrilling  met  his  gaze  inside  of 
the  dimly  lit  building.  Stummer  had  been  com- 
pletely overcome,  and  a  rebel  was  about  to  give  Dan 
Casey  a  finishing  blow  with  his  gun  butt.  But  the 
weapon  never  came  down,  for  Ben  seized  it  and 
hurled  it  aside,  and  its  owner  with  it. 

"  Surrender,  or  we'll  shoot  you  down  like  dogs  !  " 
cried  the  captain ;  and  as  the  Filipinos  turned  to  use 
their  rifles,  he  emptied  his  revolver  into  the  crowd, 
while  Leary  and  the  others  used  their  guns.  The 
shed  was  filled  with  smoke  and  with  the  yells  and 
groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying.  A  Filipino 
caught  Ben  by  the  legs  and  threw  him  to  the  floor, 
and  the  two  rolled  over  and  over  in  a  hand-to-hand 
struggle  for  the  mastery. 

It  was  a  trying  time,  and  one  Ben  was  not  likely 
to  forget  for  long  months  -to  come,  for  somebody  in 
the  semi-darkness  stepped  on  his  shoulder,  bruising  it 


IN   WHICH   MAGALANG   IS   TAKEN  241 

not  a  little.  His  man  had  him  by  the  arm  and  the 
hip,  while  the  young  captain  held  fast  to  the  other's 
windpipe.  Soon  each  was  well-nigh  exhausted,  yet 
Ben  felt  by  no  means  like  giving  in. 

It  was  Leary  who  came  to  the  rescue,  with  a  blow 
from  his  rifle  butt  which  all  but  killed  the  Filipino, 
coming  as  it  did  straight  on  the  enemy's  left  temple. 
The  grip  relaxed,  and  Ben  staggered  up,  panting 
heavily  and  with  the  blood  from  his  wounded  cheek 
in  his  eyes. 

When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  it  was  found  that 
two  of  the  enemy  were  dead  and  the  others  placed 
hors-de-combat.  Stummer  was  senseless,  with  a  nasty 
cut  in  his  shoulder,  and  Dan  Casey  was  grating  his 
teeth  to  keep  himself  from  screaming  with  pain  over 
an  arm  that  was  out  of  joint.  The  Irish  volunteer 
was  cared  for  by  two  of  his  friends,  who  pulled  the 
joint  into  place  once  more,  and  then  honest  Dan 
fainted  from  exhaustion. 

The  two  battalions  were  now  on  every  side  of  the 
church,  having  come  in  as  closely  as  the  protection 
of  the  walls  and  brushwood  allowed.  The  outer 
door  to  the  shed  was  opened,  and  into  the  narrow 
building  poured  the  balance  of  Ben's  command. 
From  the  inner  door  could    be    caught   a   view    of 


242  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

two  of  the  church  windows,  but  these  were  now 
deserted. 

Boom !  It  was  the  report  of  a  distant  gun,  and  a 
shot  struck  the  church  between  two  of  the  windows, 
making  a  jagged  rent  in  the  dilapidated  masonry. 
Boom !  came  another  shot,  hitting  the  tower  and 
scattering  the  stones  in  all  directions. 

"  Hurrah  !  our  battery  has  the  range  !  "  came  the 
cry  from  the  Americans.  "  Those  sharpshooters 
won't  stay  in  there  much  longer." 

"  Watch  out  for  a  rush  !  "  said  Ben.  "  Be  ready, 
and  make  every  shot  tell !  "  And  he  reloaded  his 
pistol  with  all  speed. 

Ten  minutes  passed,  and  during  that  time  four 
other  shots  came  hurling  themselves  at  the  church. 
Two  did  but  little  damage,  but  the  others  entered 
the  building  and  tore  down  a  mass  of  woodwork 
and  plaster,  filling  the  edifice  with  dust  and  flying 
splinters. 

The  sharpshooters  now  found  the  retreat  too  hot 
to  hold  them,  and  forming  into  a  compact  body,  they 
made  for  a  side  door  of  the  building,  which  was 
swung  open  suddenly  and  noiselessly.  Then  out 
they  poured  and  ran  with  all  speed  for  the  nearest 
jungle,    two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away.     So  far 


IN   WHICH   MAGALONG   IS   TAKEN  243 

they  had  seen  no  Americans  in  that  direction  and 
hoped  to  find  a  clear  passage. 

But  they  were  sadly  mistaken,  for  in  the  jungle 
were  the  first  and  second  companies  of  the  third 
battalion,  hidden  behind  a  slight  rise  of  ground.  As 
the  Filipinos  came  on,  they  were  greeted  with  a  gall- 
ing fire  which  played  fearful  havoc  with  their  front 
rank  and  caused  them  to  halt. 

"  We  have  them  now !  "  cried  Major  Morris,  as  he 
ran  up  and  ordered  the  first  battalion  to  close  up 
around  the  church,  thus  cutting  off  the  enemy's 
retreat.  Following  this,  the  fourth  company  was 
ordered  to  follow  up  the  sharpshooters,  and  away 
they  went  out  of  the  stone  shed,  cheering  lustily  and 
shooting  as  they  ran. 

Finding  themselves  hemmed  in,  front  and  rear,  the 
Filipinos  essayed  to  separate,  one  portion  to  the  left 
and  the  other  to  the  right.  But  again  their  move- 
ments were  frustrated  by  other  companies  coming 
up,  and  then  began  a  slaughter  terrible  to  witness, 
but  which  the  misguided  Filipinos  had  brought  on 
themselves.  Man  after  man  went  down,  killed  out- 
right, while  scores  were  wounded. 

"  In  the  name  of  Providence,  why  don't  you  sur- 
render ? "    demanded    Major    Morris,   as   he   saw  a 


244  UNDER   MacAETHUR    IN   LUZON 

Filipino  officer  stagger  by,  clutching  his  wounded 
arm.  The  officer  stared  at  him  and  suddenly  drew  a 
dirty  handkerchief  from  his  pocket.  Waving  this 
handkerchief  over  his  head,  he  turned  back,  and  soon 
several  other  handkerchiefs  appeared.  The  firing  on 
the  American  side  ceased,  and  the  brief  but  bloody 
contest  came  to  an  end. 

This  was  the  fight  at  the  old  church,  where 
twenty-six  sharpshooters  were  taken  prisoners,  among 
them  Carlos  Vivachi,  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
marksmen  in  the  world,  and  who  held  the  honor  — 
as  he  termed  it  —  of  having  brought  down  nine 
Spanish  officers  during  the  war  with  Spain.  How 
many  Americans  he  had  killed  or  wounded  Vivachi 
would  never  tell. 

In  the  meantime  the  other  commands  under  Gen- 
eral MacArthur  were  not  idle,  and  a  brilliant  attack 
upon  Magalang  itself  soon  put  the  enemy  on  the  run. 
During  this  fight  a  small  part  of  the  town  took  fire 
and  burned  down.  The  Filipinos  were  chased  for 
over  a  mile  beyond  the  outskirts,  and  the  battle 
resulted  in  a  loss  to  them  of  over  two  hundred 
killed  and  wounded.  The  losses  to  the  Americans 
were  but  trifling  in  comparison. 

When  the  fighting  was   over,  the  regiment  under 


IN   WHICH   MAGALANG  IS   TAKEN  245 

Colonel  Darcy  was  ordered  to  remain  at  the  church 
until  the  next  day.  This  suited  the  soldiers  very 
well,  for  the  place  was  clean,  dry,  and  cool.  It  had 
not  been  in  use  for  several  years,  and  most  of  the 
movable  church  property  had  been  taken  away. 

When  the  wounded  and  dead  had  been  cared  for, 
Ben  and  the  major  took  a  walk  around  the  building 
to  inspect  it.  Ben's  shoulder  still  ached,  and  his  face 
bore  several  long  strips  of  court  plaster,  while  Major 
Morris's  left  hand  was  bound  up  because  of  a  wound 
to  the  knuckle  of  the  thumb. 

The  church  was  divided  into  several  parts,  after 
the  manner  of  such  buildings  in  Luzon,  with  here 
and  there  a  little  stone  closet  or  cell.  One  of  these 
cells  was  found  to  be  filled  with  old  records,  now 
musty  with  age. 

"These  may  be  of  value,"  said  the  major.  He 
looked  a  few  of  the  books  over.  "  Births  and  deaths, 
I  think." 

"  The  Filipinos  have  lost  interest  in  such  records 
just  now,  major.     Fighting  has  —     What's  that  ?  " 

Ben  stopped  speaking  and  gazed  at  his  companion 
in  perplexity.  A  loud  sneeze  had  startled  him,  com- 
ing from  the  top  of  the  cell.  Looking  up,  they  saw 
a  man  huddled  up  on  a  shelf,  glaring  down  at  them. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

A   FRIAR   TELLS    HIS   STORY 

The  man  on  the  shelf  was  dressed  in  the  dull- 
colored  garb  of  a  Filipino  friar.  His  face  was  thin 
and  yellow,  and  as  he  gazed  down  at  Ben  and  the 
major,  the  young  captain  could  not  help  but  com- 
pare him  to  some  chimpanzee  that  had  broken  out 
of  a  menagerie.  One  eye  drooped  with  a  wicked 
leer,  while  the  other  was  wide  open  in  a  commin- 
gling of  anger  and  terror. 

"  Hi,  what  are  you  doing  up  there  ?  "  demanded 
the  major. 

"I  no  harm  anybody,"  was  the  slow  answer,  de- 
livered in  broken  English. 

"  I  reckon  he  thought  to  hide  from  us,"  put  in 
Ben.  "  He  has  the  dress  of  a  friar,  but  that  may 
be  only  a  disguise." 

"  You  had  better  come  down,"  went  on  the  major, 
as  the  man  did  not  offer  to  move. 

"You  will  no  shoota  me?"  questioned  the  man, 
suspiciously. 

"No;  come  down." 

246 


A   FRIAR   TELLS   HIS   STORY  247 

How  the  man  had  gotten  up  on  the  high  stone 
shelf  was  hard  to  guess,  and  it  was  equally  hard 
for  him  to  gain  the  floor  again.  As  he  fell,  rather 
than  leaped,  down,  he  began  to  sneeze  again,  for  he 
had  a  severe  cold  in  the  head. 

"I  must  say  you  don't  look  like  a  soldier,"  con- 
tinued Major  Morris,  as  he  surveyed  the  individual 
from  head  to  foot.  "  Were  you  fighting  with  the 
sharpshooters  ?  " 

"  No  !  no !  "  The  friar  crossed  himself.  "  I  no 
shoota  nobody.  I  am  of  de  church ! "  And  he 
crossed  himself  again. 

"Well,  what  were  you  doing  here?  This  place 
hasn't  been  used  as  a  church  for  a  long  time." 

"I  am  a  poor  friar,  sefior  —  verra  poor  friar.  I 
come  to  Magalang  from  Desdenas,  thinking  to  find 
one  friend  —  one  old  friend  —  in  Magalang.  He 
is  gone,  —  to  de  war,  —  and  so  I  go  away  poor,  and 
sleep  in  de  church  las'  night.  When  I  awake,  de 
church  is  full  of  de  soldiers,  an'  I  was  verra  much 
afraid.  I  come  in  here  an'  hide.  Bang !  bang !  de 
gun  go,  an'  I  verra  much  afraid  more !  No !  no ! 
I  no  shoota  nobody  !  I  like  not  war,  no  !  no  !  "  And 
once  again  the  holy  man  crossed  himself,  and  then 
began  to  bow  and  to  sneeze. 


248  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Both  Ben  and  the  major  could  not  help  but  smile. 
They  had  met  such  friars  before,  —  for  the  Philip- 
pines are  fairly  overrun  with  them  —  some  good, 
some  indifferent,  and  some  very  bad,  —  and  they 
knew  that  not  one  of  the  order  thinks  of  taking 
up  arms  either  on  one  side  or  the  other.  Besides, 
the  specimen  before  them  looked  so  thoroughly  un- 
comfortable and  miserable  they  could  not  help  but 
pity  him. 

"  If  you're  all  right,  we'll  not  hurt  you,"  said  the 
major. 

"  T'ank  you,  sefior,  t'ank  you !  "  And  the  friar 
almost  touched  the  floor  with  his  bowing. 

"  Are  you  hungry  ?  "  asked  Ben. 

"  Hungry ! "  The  holy  man  began  to  mutter 
something  in  his  native  tongue.  "  I  have  eaten 
nothing,  sefior,  —  no,  nothing ;  think  of  it !  —  in  two 
days ! " 

"You  shall  have  something,  and  at  once,"  said 
Ben.     "You  are  willing,  major?" 

"  To  be  sure,  captain ;  give  him  his  fill,  poor  fellow. 
I  wouldn't  be  in  his  boots  for  a  good  deal."  And 
while  Ben  took  the  friar  to  where  he  might  have 
something  to  comfort  the  inner  man,  the  major 
continued  his  walk  through  the  old  building. 


A   FRIAR   TELLS   HIS   STORY  249 

While  the  friar  was  eating  his  fill,  Ben  questioned 
the  man,  to  make  certain  that  no  mistake  was  being 
made  whereby  he  was  entertaining  a  Tagalog  spy 
in  disguise.  But  the  fellow  was  exactly  what  he 
claimed  to  be,  and  humble  to  the  last  degree.  He 
said  that  he  belonged  at  Morong,  but  had  been  in 
and  around  Desdenas  for  several  months,  doing 
work  for  another  friar. 

"  Desdenas,"'  mused  Ben.  "  I  have  heard  of  that 
place  before.     How  far  is  it  from  here?" 

"Not  a  many  miles,  capitan  —  just  beyond  Maba- 
lacat,  a  small  place,  but  verra  beautiful,  on  de 
side  of  de  mountain." 

"It  is  now  held  by  the  Filipinos?" 

"Yees,  capitan.''''  The  friar  gazed  at  his  empty 
plate.  "  Americano  beans  are  verra  good  —  you  have 
to  spare  a  few  more?" 

"  Yes,  help  yourself."  And  the  friar  did  so  readily. 
"  Desdenas !  I've  heard  of  that  place  from  some- 
body. Now  who  was  it?"  Ben  knit  his  brows  in 
thought.  "  Oh,  yes,  that  Inez  Garabella  mentioned  it. " 
He  turned  again  to  the  friar.    "  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"Monclova,  capitan." 

"  While  you  were  in  Desdenas  did  you  meet 
another  friar  named  Ponpre  ?  " 


250  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

"  Ponpre"  !  It  is  the  verra  same  —  de  man  I  do 
work  for,  —  Alfredo  Ponpre"  !  De  eapitan  knows 
him?" 

"Not  personally,  but  I  have  heard  of  him.  He 
came,  I  believe,  from  a  town  still  farther  north,  a 
place  called  Biloguana." 

"  Yees,  yees  —  dat  is  he,  Alfredo  Ponpre"  —  de 
rich  friar.  But  he  gives  not  much  of  his  wealth 
away."     And  the  face  of  Monclova  fell  abruptly. 

"If  you  worked  for  him,  you  must  know  some- 
thing about  him,"  went  on  the  young  captain,  with 
interest.  "Did  you  ever  hear  of  any  affair  between 
him  and  a  rich  mine  owner  named  Garabella  —  a 
man  now  dead?" 

At  this  question  the  friar  looked  somewhat  dis- 
turbed, and  Ben  saw  at  once  that  he  knew  a  good 
deal  more  than  he  cared  to  mention.  He  sneezed 
several  times  and  helped  himself  to  some  more  of 
the  food  which  had  been  provided. 

"  I  heara  somet'ing — not  verra  much,"  he  answered 
slowly.  "  Da  haf  troubles,  yees,  but  Garabella  is 
gone  now  and  so  — "  He  finished  with  a  shrug  of 
his  lean  shoulders.  "  What  you  knowa  of  dees, 
eapitan?" 

"I   know   Inez    Garabella,    the    daughter,    and    I 


A  FRIAR  TELLS  HIS  STORY         251 

was  told  that  this  Ponpre"  and  a  man  named  Moval 
tried  to  have  Senor  Garabella  kidnapped  and  taken 
to  Borneo." 

"Yees?"  The  friar  said  no  more,  but  his  face 
was  suggestive  of  a  good  deal. 

"  You  know  about  this  ?  " 

"I  heara  eet,  yees,  but  perhap  it  no  true  —  de 
peoples  say  so  much ;  not  so  ?  " 

"Is  Ponpre"  still  at  Desdenas?" 

"  Yees  —  dat  is,  he  was  dare  free  day  ago, 
eapitan." 

"Where  was  he  stopping?" 

"At  de  house  of  da  rich  man,  Rousana." 

The  friar  could  not,  or  would  not,  tell  more, 
and  soon  after  left  the  camp,  stating  he  was  going 
to  work  his  way  to  Malolos.  It  was  the  first  and 
last  time  the  young  captain  saw  him.  But  the 
conversation  between  the  pair  was  destined  to 
become  an  important  one. 

After  the  taking  of  Magalang,  the  regiment  to 
which  Ben  was  attached  rested  for  a  day  and  then 
moved  back  toward  the  line  of  the  railroad.  On 
every  hand  the  native  huts  and  houses  were  found 
deserted  and  empty  of  all  which  was  valuable. 
At   one   point   a   large    rice-house  was    found,  with 


252  UNDER   MacAHTHTJR   IN   LUZON 

the  rice  scattered  in  all  directions  and  trampled 
in  the  mud. 

"  They  don't  want  us  to  get  hold  of  any  of  their 
stores,"  said  Gilbert  to  Ben. 

"  I  don't  blame  them,"  answered  the  captain. 
"  They  are  playing  the  game  of  war  to  the  best 
of  their  ability." 

On  the  day  following,  the  column  under  General 
MacArthur  moved  along  the  railroad  to  Malabacat. 
Here  the  rebels  were  intrenched  just  outside  of 
the  town,  but  showed  only  a  slight  resistance. 
Colonel  Darcy's  command  was  sent  to  the  right 
wing,  which  brought  the  first  battalion  on  a  small 
hill  overlooking  a  fertile  valley  eastward,  backed 
up  by  tall  mountains.  In  the  valley  rested  a 
collection  of  houses  by  the  side  of  a  winding  stream, 
and  after  the  fighting  Ben  learned  that  the  hamlet 
was  Desdenas. 

"I  would  like  to  pay  the  village  a  visit,"  said 
the  captain  of  Company  D  to  his  major. 

"  For  what  reason  ?  " 

"I  would  like  to  meet  a  friar  named  Alfredo 
Ponpre"  and  have  a  talk  with  him."  And  then 
Ben  told  Major  Morris  of  what  Inez  Garabella 
and  Friar  Monclova  had  said. 


A   FRIAR   TELLS    HIS    STORY  253 

"  Well,  we  are  ordered  to  subdue  all  villages  in 
our  track,"  was  the  major's  answer.  "  Let  us  ask 
Colonel  Darcy  about  this."  They  hurried  to  the 
colonel,  had  a  long  talk  with  him ;  and  the  upshot 
of  the  matter  was  that  the  first  battalion  moved 
away  to  take  Desdenas  under  control. 

No  resistance  was  offered  to  the  troops,  the  few 
natives  left  in  the  village  displaying  white  rags 
at  the  doors  of  their  huts  in  token  of  friendliness. 
Accompanied  by  the  major,  Ben  asked  his  way  to 
the  residence  of  Senor  Rousana,  and  was  directed 
to  a  pretty  mansion  set  in  a  grove  of  tropical 
trees. 

"  He  certainly  lives  in  pretty  good  style,"  re- 
marked the  major  as  the  two  strode  up  the  shady 
garden  path.  "Wonder  if  he  is  a  Filipino  sympa- 
thizer ?  " 

"  It's  more  than  likely,"  answered  Ben.  "  The 
majority  of  them  are,  behind  Uncle  Sam's  back." 

A  knock  on  the  door  brought  a  neat  waiting- 
maid  to  answer  their  summons.  She  looked  much 
disturbed  upon  seeing  the  American  officers,  and 
fled  at  once  without  waiting  to  hear  what  they 
might  have  to  say. 

"She's  mighty  civil,"  remarked  the  major,  dryly, 


254  UNDER   MacARTHUR  IN   LUZON" 

and  sat  down  on  a  rattan  bench  to  await  develop- 
ments. Soon  they  heard  voices  coming  from  one 
of  the  rooms  overlooking  the  veranda,  the  blinds  of 
the  windows  being  closed  to  shut  out  the  glaring 
sunshine. 

"  An  interruption,  PonpreV'  said  a  deep  voice,  in 
Spanish.    "  We  shall  have  to  postpone  the  business." 

"I  cannot  wait  any  longer,"  was  the  answer;  and 
Ben  felt  certain  it  was  Alfredo  Ponpre  who  was 
speaking.  "  You  know  Barnabas  Moval  wishes  the 
will.     If  you  —  " 

"  You  have  the  document  handy  ?  "  demanded  the 
first  speaker. 

"Yes." 

"  And  it  was  signed  by  Garabella  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"How  did  you  obtain  it?" 

"That  was  my  affair,  Seiior  Rousana.  I  have  it, 
and  by  this,  you  or  Moval  can  obtain  possession  of 
that  mine  —  " 

"Hush,  PonprS,  remember  the  old  saying,  that 
walls  sometimes  leak.  We  will  talk  further  after 
I  have  finished  with  these  intruders.  I  know  not 
what  has  brought  them  here.  Sit  down  till  I  have 
interviewed  them." 


A   FRIAR   TELLS   HIS   STORY  255 

The  conversation  came  to  an  end,  and  in  a  minute 
more  Senor  Rousana  appeared  on  the  veranda  and 
bowed  low. 

"A  great  honor,"  he  said,  in  an  oily  manner. 
"  May  1 1  ask  what  brings  you  Americans  to  my 
humble  home?" 

"I  want  to  talk  to  Friar  Ponpre,"  said  Ben, 
shortly. 

"Yes?  And  you  are  —  ?"  Senor  Rousana  paused 
inquiringly. 

"I  am  Captain  Ben  Russell,  of  the  American 
army." 

At  the  mention  of  the  name  there  was  a  slight 
movement  in  the  room  beyond.  Stepping  to  the 
blind  of  a  handy  window,  Ben  threw  it  open  sud- 
denly, and  found  himself  face  to  face  with  Alfredo 
Ponpre,  who  had  come  forward  to  listen  to  what 
was  being  said. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

CHASING  AGUINALDO   INTO   THE  MOUNTAINS 

The  friar  was  a  short,  stocky  man,  with  a  rough, 
ruddy  face  and  a  pair  of  fishy  blue  eyes.  He  was 
attired  in  the  regular  garb  of  the  order,  but  his 
clothes  were  of  a  much  finer  cloth  than  those  worn 
by  the  fellow  caught  in  the  old  church  at  Magalang. 

On  seeing  himself  thus  suddenly  confronted  by 
the  young  captain,  he  started  back,  and  his  face 
changed  color.  He  had  heard  of  Ben  before,  and 
knew  he  was  the  party  who  had  assisted  Inez  Gara- 
bella  and  helped  to  make  Barnabas  Moval  a  prisoner. 

"  Ah  —  you  —  "  he  stammered  in  Spanish. 

"You  are  Friar  Ponprd,  I  believe,"  said  Ben,  in 
English. 

"  Yees,"  was  the  uncomfortable  answer. 

"  I  wish  to  talk  to  you,  sir.  Will  you  kindly  step 
out  here  ?  " 

"  What  ees  eet  dat  you  wanta  of  me  ? "  said  the 
friar,  as  he  came  out  on  the  veranda. 

"You  come  from  a  town  called  Biloguana,  I  believe." 

The  friar  nodded. 

256 


CHASING   AGUINALDO   INTO   THE   MOUNTAINS      257 

"  You  were  well  acquainted  with  a  rich  man 
named  Garabella." 

Again  the  friar  nodded. 

"You  plotted  with  a  man  named  Moval  to  have 
this  Garabella  kidnapped  and  sent  to  Borneo." 

"  No !  no !  dat  ees  nota  so,  capitan.  Moval  plot 
—  I  do  noddings  !  " 

"But  Inez  Garabella  says  you  were  in  the  plot." 

"  She  ees  —  a  —  mistaken. " 

"  And  Moval  has  admitted  that  he  had  dealings 
with  you,"  went  on  the  young  captain. 

The  shot  told,  and  the  face  of  the  friar  grew  dark 
and  full  of  passion. 

"  Ha !  he  has  told  somet'ings,  eh  ?  He  ees  a 
snake  in  de  grass,  Moval !  Bah  !  I  was  a  fool  —  " 
He  broke  off  short.  "I  know  noddings,  capitan." 
And  he  crossed  himself. 

"  You  do  know  something,  Alfredo  Ponpre ;  you 
know  everything.     You  have  that  will  —  " 

"  No !  no  !  "  And  now  the  friar  made  a  sudden 
clutch  for  his  breast,  which  movement  did  not  escape 
Ben  or  the  major.     "  Dare  ees  some  mistake  —  " 

"Make  him  a  prisoner,  captain,"  broke  in  Major 
Morris.  "  I'm  dead  sure  we  have  the  right  man, 
and  sure  he  has  that  will  in  his  breast  pocket." 


258  UNDER   MacARTHUR    IN   LUZON 

At  this  the  friar  turned  from  red  to  white  and 
staggered  back.  Stepping  to  Senor  Rousana,  he 
began  to  speak  rapidly  in  Spanish,  but  the  Ameri- 
cans cut  him  short. 

"You  must  submit,"  said  the  major,  and  tapped 
his  pistol  significantly.  "  Captain  Russell,  you  may 
search  him." 

At  once  the  friar  began  to  expostulate,  and  his 
friend,  Senor  Rousana,  took  an  active  part.  But 
the  major  soon  made  the  rich  Filipino  become 
silent,  by  threatening  to  arrest  him  also.  Then 
Ponpre*  was  searched,  and  from  a  breast  pocket 
was  taken  a  packet  of  legal-looking  documents, 
which  included  one  in  an  envelope  bearing  the 
inscription  in  Spanish :  "  Last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  Andres  Enrique  Garabella." 

"This  is  the  document  which  was  stolen,"  said 
Ben.  He  faced  the  friar  sternly.  "You  have  got- 
ten yourself  in  much  trouble,  and  will  have  to 
come  with  me." 

"Where  to?" 

"I  shall  send  you  to  Manila  —  to  keep  company 
with  Barnabas  Moval." 

"And  da  will?" 

"Shall  be  sent  to  whom  it  belongs,  Inez  Garabella." 


CHASING   AGUINALDO   INTO   THE  MOUNTAINS      259 

Here  Senor  Rousana  tried  to  interfere  again,  and 
it  looked  as  if  there  would  be  a  long,  wordy  war, 
when  Major  Morris  cut  the  matter  short  by  asking 
the  Filipino  to  go  along  with  them. 

"I  shall  not  stir,"  growled  Senor  Rousana,  and 
ran  into  the  house  before  either  the  major  or  the 
captain  could  stop  him. 

"  He's  scared,"  laughed  Ben. 

"Do  you  want  him  particularly?" 

«  No." 

"Then  let  us  go." 

The  friar  hated  to  stir,  but  one  look  into  the 
determined  faces  of  the  Americans  told  him  how 
useless  resistance  would  be,  and  muttering  under 
his  breath,  he  walked  with  them,  out  of  the  grounds 
and  to  where  the  battalion  was  resting. 

As  Desdenas  had  offered  no  resistance,  and  as  no 
Filipino  soldiers  were  in  sight,  the  battalion  marched 
back  to  the  main  body  of  MacArthur's  column,  and 
here  the  friar  was  turned  over  to  the  guard.  Ben 
went  to  report  to  the  general,  who  listened  with 
interest  to  what  the  young  officer  had  to  say. 

"I  will  have  the  prisoner  sent  to  Manila,"  said 
General  MacArthur. 

"  And  what  shall  I  do  with  the  will  ?  "  asked  Ben. 


260  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

"  You  cannot  return  it  to  this  Inez  Garabella  at 
present,  for  all  communications  with  the  rebels 
have  been  broken  off.  If  you  wish,  I  will  send  it 
to  General  Otis  for  safe  keeping."  And  this  was, 
later  on,  done. 

The  next  two  weeks  brought  hard  and  continuous 
work  to  Ben  and  the  others  attached  to  General 
MacArthur's  column.  It  was  decided  by  all  the 
military  leaders  not  only  to  get  General  Aguinaldo 
and  his  followers  on  the  run,  but  to  keep  them  run- 
ning until  practically  exhausted,  and  consequently 
our  soldiers  were  more  or  less  on  the  go  all  the 
time.  Following  the  taking  of  Malabacat  by  Mac- 
Arthur,  came  a  movement  by  Lawton  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Agno  River,  his  cavalry  taking  the 
towns  of  Bongabong  and  Aliaga  on  the  way.  Law- 
ton  now  commanded  many  of  the  mountain  passes, 
and  when  MacArthur's  column  entered  the  Filipino 
capital  at  Tarlac,  only  to  find  it  abandoned,  Lawton 
captured  a  large  number  of  bolomen,  who  were  car- 
rying Aguinaldo's  baggage  over  the  mountains,  and 
also  made  prisoners  of  the  Filipino  President's  pri- 
vate secretary  and  several  of  the  staff  officers.  But 
what  had  become  of  Aguinaldo  himself  nobody 
could,  or  would,  tell. 


CHASING  AGUINALDO   INTO  THE  MOUNTAINS      261 

'•  He  isn't  going  to  allow  himself  to  be  captured," 
said  Ben,  after  a  hard  day's  fighting  beyond  Tarlac. 
"  He's  the  slickest  fellow  to  get  away  I  ever  heard  of." 

From  Tarlac,  the  main  body  of  Mac  Arthur's 
column  advanced  along  the  railroad  to  Capas,  only 
to  find  the  rebels  fleeing  before  them  in  all  direc- 
tions. The  soldiers  were  allowed  but  little  rest, 
and  a  few  days  later  passed  on  through  Gerona  to 
Dagupan,  the  end  of  the  railroad  line.  The  railroad 
from  end  to  end  was  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
Americans,  and  transportation  went  on  without  fur- 
ther molestation. 

In  the  meantime  General  Wheaton's  expedition 
to  Lingayen  Gulf  had  been  highly  successful.  His 
sailing  from  Manila  had  been  kept  a  secret  from  all 
Filipino  spies,  who  thought  his  soldiers  were  going  to 
some  of  the  other  islands.  The  landing  at  San  Fabian 
beach  was  accomplished  without  mishap,  and  the 
handful  of  insurgents  near  by  quickly  ran  for  shelter. 
The  town  was  a  mile  off,  and  the  march  was  through 
a  swamp  and  over  a  rickety  bridge,  where  the  Ameri- 
cans received  a  first  real  volley  from  the  enemy. 
But  the  insurgents  would  not  stand  for  a  battle  at 
close  range,  and  that  night  our  troops  occupied  San 
Fabian  without  further  resistance. 


262  UNDER   MacAHTHUR   IN  LUZON 

As  but  little  was  known  of  this  section  of  Luzon, 
the  command  under  General  Wheaton  had,  neces- 
sarily, to  move  with  caution,  and  on  the  second  and 
third  days  after  landing,  scouting  parties  were  sent 
forth  in  various  directions.  One  of  these  parties 
moved  toward  San  Jacinto,  and  had  hardly  gotten 
fairly  started  on  the  road  when  the  Filipinos  opened 
fire,  killing  six  men  in  the  front  rank.  A  terrific 
battle,  lasting  well  into  the  night,  followed,  the 
Filipino  sharpshooters  doing  frightful  execution,  and 
bringing  down,  among  numerous  others,  Major  John 
A.  Logan,  one  of  the  best  beloved  of  the  officers  of 
the  33d  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry. 

It  was  now  learned  that  Aguinaldo  was  just 
beyond  San  Jacinto  with  the  remnant  of  his  army, 
and  General  Wheaton's  column  tried  to  push  on 
faster  than  ever,  toward  the  mountains  on  the  north. 
But  the  passes  were  held  by  the  very  best  of  the 
Tagalog  sharpshooters,  and  it  is  said  that  they  had 
orders  never  to  give  up.  San  Jacinto  was  taken  by 
the  Americans,  and  then  it  was  rumored  that  the 
town  was  to  be  surrounded,  and  General  Wheaton 
prepared  for  an  attack  on  a  large  scale.  But  this 
never  materialized,  and  the  flight  of  the  Filipino 
President  —  he   now  proclaimed  himself  Dictator  — 


CHASING   AGUINALDO  INTO  THE  MOUNTAINS      268 

continued.  On  the  20th  of  November  some  of 
Wheaton's  soldiers  reached  Dagupan,  where  they 
were  joined  by  General  MacArthur's  column. 
Three  days  later  MacArthur  returned  to  Tarlac, 
where  his  command  went  into  temporary  camp. 

It  was  not  known  till  some  days  later  how  near  the 
American  troops  had  been  to  capturing  Aguinaldo 
and  his  body-guard,  nearly  two  thousand  strong. 
Aguinaldo  was  making  his  way  close  to  Lingayen 
Gulf  when  Wheaton  landed  there,  and  in  his  flight 
he  came  near  falling  into  the  hands  of  two  of  Gen- 
eral Lawton's  detachments  —  Swiger's  and  Young's 
cavalry.  But  he  took  directly  to  the  mountains, 
throwing  away  all  his  superfluous  baggage,  and  bury- 
ing an  amount  of  cash  said  to  have  been  equal  to 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars  of  our  money.  The  dark- 
ness of  night  favored  him,  and  for  two  days  afterward 
it  rained  heavily,  so  that  pursuit  was  much  retarded. 
On  several  occasions  his  rear-guard  was  brought 
into  action,  and  some  of  his  carts  and  his  native 
carriers  were  captured.  One  of  the  cart-drivers  thus 
taken  revealed  the  fact  that  the  treasure  had  been 
buried  and  located  the  spot.  In  this  mad  flight, 
Aguinaldo's  aged  mother  and  one  of  his  children 
became  separated  from  the  balance  of  the  party,  and 


264  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

the  child,  aged  four,  was  found  and  cared  for  by 
Wheaton's  troops.  Later  on,  the  mother  was  also 
found,  and  placed  in  a  convent  for  safe  keeping 
until  she  could  be  taken  to  friends  in  Manila.  In 
the  meantime  the  youngest  of  Aguinaldo's  children 
had  died  during  the  excitement  and  was  hastily 
buried  at  Bayambang.  Even  though  an  enemy, 
General  Aguinaldo,  in  his  personal  loss,  received 
the  warm  sympathy  of  all  the  Americans. 

In  a  work  of  this  sort,  written  mainly  to  depict 
the  life  and  adventures  of  our  soldiers  and  sailors 
in  the  Philippines,  it  is  manifestly  impossible  to  go 
into  the  details  of  all  the  movements  made  to  sub- 
due the  insurgents  and  to  capture  Aguinaldo  and 
the  other  leaders.  During  the  days  to  follow  the 
occupation  of  Dagupan  and  other  points  in  the 
north,  in  December,  numerous  expeditions  were  sent 
out  to  round  up  the  badly  scattered  bands  of  the 
enemy.  Some  of  these  expeditions  were  highly 
successful,  and  many  prisoners  were  taken  and  thou- 
sands of  rounds  of  ammunition,  stores,  baggage,  and 
artillery  confiscated.  From  one  point  the  Filipino 
leader  fled  to  another,  each  time  losing  a  portion 
of  his  following.  Many  of  the  private  records  of 
the  enemy's  organization  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 


CHASING   AGUINALDO   INTO   THE   MOUNTAINS      265 

Americans,  but  some  of  these  were  afterward  stolen, 
it  was  said  by  Tagalog  spies.  Not  alone  was  the 
country  searched  for  miles,  and  put  under  submis- 
sion, but  Subig  Bay  and  other  portions  of  the  coast 
were  garrisoned  and  the  natives  given  to  under- 
stand that  they  must  offer  no  shelter  or  assistance 
to  the  rebels.  Even  the  town  of  Laoag,  in  the 
extreme  northwest,  was  visited  by  some  American 
troops  under  Young,  and  here,  after  a  short  fight, 
the  rebels  were  put  to  flight,  and  nearly  two  thou- 
sand Spanish  prisoners  —  who  had  been  held  there 
ever  since  the  war  between  the  Spaniards  and  the 
Tagals  —  were  released.  These  prisoners  had,  of 
course,  heard  all  about  the  war  between  Spain  and 
the  United  States,  yet  they  readily  hailed  Uncle 
Sam's  soldiers  as  their  deliverers. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

BEN'S   HUNT   FOR   WALTER 

"Captain  Russell,  here  is  news  which  will 
interest  you  ! "  cried  Major  Morris  one  day,  as  he 
rushed  up  to  Ben,  while  the  latter  was  cleaning  his 
pistol  and  his  sword. 

"What  is  it,  major?" 

"  Colonel  Hare,  after  a  chase  of  miles  through 
the  jungle,  has  succeeded  in  rescuing  that  party 
of  sailors  who  were  lost  from  the  Yorktown  last 
spring." 

"  That  is  certainly  good  news,  major,"  was  Ben's 
reply. 

"  But  that  is  not  all  of  it,  captain.  With  the 
party  were  several  other  soldiers  and  sailors,  and 
among  them  Si  Doring,  the  young  fellow  who  was 
lost  with  your  brother  Walter  — " 

Ben  leaped  forward  anxiously.  "Was  Walter 
with  them,  too?" 

"No,  captain;  his  name  isn't  on  the  list.  But 
this  Si  Doring  may  know  something  about  him — " 

266 


BEN'S    HUNT   FOR   WALTER  267 

"  Of  course  he'll  know  something.  Where  can 
I  find  him?" 

"  They  are  over  at  a  village  called  Cotes,  I  believe. 
The  colonel  gave  me  the  news." 

"  I  am  going  to  see  Doring  at  once  —  if  I  can  get 
off.     Want  to  go  along?" 

"  Sorry,  but  I  can't  go.  You  know  I  am  getting 
ready  for  my  enlistment  in  the  regulars  now." 

"  That's  so ;  I  forgot.  And  Gilbert  is  getting 
ready  too.  Well,  I'll  be  sorry  to  lose  you,  I  can 
tell  you  that." 

Without  waiting  to  say  more,  Ben  hurried  to 
headquarters,  and  half  an  hour  later  had  permission 
to  visit  Cotes,  taking  with  him  several  men  for  pro- 
tection, for  the  mountains  still  held  Filipino  sharp- 
shooters where  they  were  least  expected. 

Half  an  hour's  hard  walking  brought  him  to  the 
place  where  the  rescued  ones  were  resting.  He  readily 
singled  out  Si,  and  called  the  young  sailor  aside. 

"  You  are  Si  Doring,"  he  began,  and  as  Si  nodded, 
he  continued,  "  I  am  Ben  Russell ! " 

"  Ben  Russell !  "  gasped  the  young  tar.  "  Say, 
now,  I'm  downright  glad  to  know  you,  Ben  — 
seems  like  I've  known  you  a  long  while  —  through 
Walter."     And  a  hearty  handshake  followed. 


268  UNDER   Mac  ARTHUR   EST  LUZON 

"But  Walter  —  tell  me  of  him,  Doring." 

"  I  can't  tell  you  much.  We  went  ashore  to- 
gether—  you  heard  about  that,  I  reckon." 

"Yes!  yes!  He  wasn't  —  wasn't — "  Ben  could 
get  no  farther. 

"  No,  he  wasn't  killed  by  them  heathenish  natives. 
We  both  got  away  —  by  the  skin  of  our  teeth  —  and 
started  to  come  over  the  mountains  to  Manila.  We 
had  a  terrible  rough  time  of  it  and  were  most  dead 
when  we  fell  in  with  these  Yorktown  prisoners. 
We  helped  some  of  'em  to  escape,  and  in  the  dark- 
ness Walter  and  a  sailor  named  Palmer  got  sepa- 
rated from  me  and  the  others.  Then  I  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  about  a  week  later  Palmer  was  recap- 
tured. He  said  he  had  been  with  Walter  and  had 
left  your  brother  in  the  bushes,  with  a  bullet  wound 
in  his  thigh." 

"  And  did  the  Filipinos  go  back  for  Walter  ?  " 

"  No ;  they  were  pushing  on  eastward  as  hard  as 
they  could,  and  they  wouldn't  listen  to  anything  we 
said.  Of  course  I  didn't  want  to  see  Walter  caught 
again,  but  I  thought  that  would  be  better  than  to 
leave  him  alone  when  he  was  wounded." 

"  He  must  be  dead ! "  groaned  Ben,  and  could 
scarcely  keep  back  the   tears.     Then   he   asked  for 


BEN'S   HUNT   FOR   WALTER  269 

Palmer  and  had  that  sailor  relate  all  that  had  hap- 
pened while  he  and  Walter  were  in  each  other's 
company. 

"Do  you  know  where  he  was  left?"  asked  Ben, 
after  the  story  was  finished  and  he  had  had  time  to 
collect  his  thoughts. 

"  I  did  not  at  the  time,  but  some  time  later  I  heard 
from  one  of  the  natives  that  we  had  been  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  town  called  Biloguana." 

"  Biloguana !  "  ejaculated  the  young  captain.  "  You 
are  certain?" 

"  That's  what  the  native  told  me.  Do  you  know 
the  place  ?  " 

"  I  know  of  it.  A  party  I  once  met  —  a  woman 
named  Garabella  —  came  from  there.  Were  you  in 
sight  of  the  town  ?  " 

"If  we  were,  I  didn't  see  it.  We  were  in  the 
bushes,  you  know." 

Palmer  could  tell  nothing  more,  and  Ben  walked 
away  with  a  heavy  heart. 

"  I  wish  I  could  help  you,  Ben."  It  was  Si,  coming 
after  him,  who  spoke.  "  And  you  haven't  told  me 
anything  of  Larry.     Is  he  safe  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  is  on  board  the  Charleston,  I  think.  I 
am  expecting  a  letter  from  him  any  day." 


270  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

"I  don't  know  what  I  am  going  to  do.  I  feel 
awfully  lonely,  now  Walter  is  gone." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  apply  for  a  position  on 
the  ship  with  Larry,"  answered  Ben  ;  and  this  Si  did, 
when  he  was  strong  enough  for  active  service.  Larry 
hailed  him  as  a  brother,  and  soon  made  him  feel  per- 
fectly at  home. 

Biloguana  was  forty-five  miles  away  from  the 
nearest  American  garrison,  but  determined  to  find 
out  what  had  become  of  Walter  at  any  cost,  the  young 
captain  applied  for  permission  to  visit  the  town,  tak- 
ing with  him  his  own  company  and  a  detachment 
under  Gilbert  Pennington.  The  proceedings  were 
somewhat  irregular,  but  Ben's  record  was  first  class, 
and  General  MacArthur  gave  the  necessary  consent. 

General  Lawton's  command  had  been  withdrawn 
to  the  vicinity  of  Manila,  and  the  gallant  commander 
himself  had  met  death  on  the  battlefield  at  San 
Mateo,  on  December  19,  in  the  midst  of  a  violent 
storm,  and  when  the  Filipino  sharpshooters  were  out 
in  force.  Our  troops  were  now  scattered,  holding  many 
garrisons  in  Luzon  and  also  isolated  points  in  various 
other  islands.  Where  Aguinaldo  was  nobody  knew, 
but  it  was  a  fact  that  the  death  of  his  little  child  had 
been  followed  by  the  surrender  of  his  beloved  wife, 


BEN"'S    HUNT   FOE   WALTER  271 

so  that  now  the  self-styled  Dictator  was  left  almost 
utterly  alone  in  the  world.  Many  of  his  best  friends 
advised  him  to  give  up  the  struggle,  but  he  refused 
as  stubbornly  as  ever  to  listen  to  such  advice. 

"I  will  never  bow  to  the  will  of  the  American 
people,"  he  is  reported  to  have  said.  "  We  are  as 
much  entitled  to  our  independence  as  they  are 
entitled  to  theirs."  Unknown  to  many,  he  was 
now  planning  to  shift  the  seat  of  war  again  to  the 
Laguna  de  Bay  and  the  south  side  of  Manila. 

The  trip  which  Ben  undertook  was  one  full  of 
hardships,  for  in  many  places  the  roads  had  been 
utterly  destroyed  and  even  the  wells  were  rendered 
unfit  for  use.  No  serious  opposition  was  encoun- 
tered excepting  at  the  village  of  Santa  Rio,  where  a 
handful  of  natives  fired  on  them  from  two  nipa 
huts.  The  natives  were  quickly  put  to  flight,  and 
those  who  were  afterward  captured  were  compelled 
to  become  litter  carriers  over  the  mountains. 

When  Biloguana  was  reached,  the  news  that  the 
Americans  were  coming  had  already  been  circulated, 
and  every  hut  and  house  was  surmounted  by  its 
flag  of  white,  as  a  sign  of  truce.  Yet  Ben  brought 
the  command  up  with  caution,  so  as  not  to  be  taken 
off  his  guard. 


272  "UNDER   MacARTHUE,   IN   LUZON 

On  entering  the  town,  the  young  captain  at  once 
set  to  work  to  learn  if  anything  had  been  seen  of 
Walter.  At  first  he  could  obtain  no  information, 
but  presently  he  met  a  native  who  directed  him  to 
the  residence  of  Inez  Garabella. 

The  woman  saw  him  coming,  and  on  recognizing 
him,  ran  swiftly  toward  him  with  hand  outstretched. 

"  Oapitan  Russell,  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you 
again,"  she  said,  in  her  rich  Spanish  voice. 

"  And  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Seiiorita  Garabella," 
he  answered  in  his  best  Spanish,  and  with  a  low 
bow. 

"  I  know  why  you  have  come  to  me,"  went  on 
the  lady,  with  a  smile.  "You  have  come  to  thank 
me  for  taking  care  of  your  brother  Walter.  But 
you  must  not  thank  me  —  it  was  so  little  to  do 
after  what  you  had  done  for  me." 

"I  —  I  don't  understand,"  stammered  Ben.  " Did 
you  then  take  care  of  my  brother  ?  " 

The  Spanish  lady  looked  bewildered  in  turn.  "  To 
be  sure  I  took  care  of  him,  until  he  was  quite  well. 
Did  he  not  join  you  at  the  American  camp  last 
week?" 

"  Join  me  ?  I  have  never  seen  him  since  he  came 
on  to  the  Philippines." 


ben's  hunt  for  walteb  273 

At  this  the  lady  of  the  house  uttered  a  faint 
shriek.  "And  I  was  so  sure  Garmand  would  see 
him  to  a  place  of  safety,"  she  sobbed.  "  Ah,  what 
have  I  done?  What  have  I  done?"  And  she 
wrung  her  hands. 

It  was  a  good  quarter  of  an  hour  before  she 
could  make  herself  perfectly  understood  to  the 
young  captain,  and  then  her  story  was  to  the  effect 
that  she  had  placed  Walter  in  the  care  of  a  faithful 
old  man  named  Garmand,  who  had  said  that  he 
could  easily  get  the  young  sailor  through  the 
mountains  to  the  nearest  American  camp.  The 
two  had  left  the  lady's  home  six  nights  previous. 

"  I  have  been  expecting  Garmand  back  each  day," 
she  continued.  "  What  can  have  happened  to  both 
of  them  ?  " 

"  Either  shot  or  captured ! "  groaned  Ben,  and 
he  heaved  a  long  sigh.  "  Oh,  why  didn't  I  try  to 
get  up  here  a  week  ago ! " 

He  questioned  Inez  Garabella  further,  and  learned 
that  Walter  had  left  her  home  in  perfect  health, 
although  still  somewhat  weak  from  his  wound  and 
the  fever  which  had  followed.  She  could  not  tell 
exactly  what  course  the  young  sailor  and  his  guide 
had  taken. 


274  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN   LUZON 

"It  was  good  of  you  to  take  care  of  him,"  said 
Ben,  later  on.  "  He  would  have  died  on  the  hill- 
side had  you  not  done  so."  And  then  he  added, 
"And  now  I  have  news  for  you,"  and  told  her 
about  the  capture  of  Friar  Ponpre"  and  the  recovery 
of  her  father's  will. 

"  It  is  wonderful !  "  she  cried.  "  Wonderful !  " 
And  she  came  close  to  embracing  him,  but  he  backed 
out  and  shifted  the  subject. 

As  there  was  no  use  in  hurrying  back  to  the 
American  lines,  Ben  and  Gilbert,  with  the  others, 
spent  two  days  at  Biloguana,  much  to  the  disgust 
of  the  natives  generally.  During  this  time  they 
were  entertained  by  Inez  Garabella,  who  acted  as 
if  she  could  not  do  enough  for  them. 

"She  has  an  eye  on  you,  Ben,"  said  Gilbert, 
slyly.     "  Better  beware." 

"I  am  bullet  proof,  Gilbert,"  said  the  young 
captain,  with  a  short  laugh.  "  No  Spanish  beauty 
for  me.  An  American  girl  will  be  good  enough  — 
if  I  ever  think  of  getting  married.  Yet  I  cannot 
but  admire  her  sincere  friendship." 

On  the  afternoon  when  the  American  soldiers 
were  leaving  the  town,  a  native  was  brought  in 
badly  wounded.     He  proved  to  be  the  guide,  Gar- 


BEN'S   HUNT   FOR   WALTER,  275 

mand,  and  was  at  once  taken  to  Inez  Garabella's 
residence.  When  able  to  speak,  he  told  how  he 
had  been  attacked  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains 
by  a  small  detachment  of  Filipinos  under  the  leader- 
ship of  a  Spanish  general. 

"I  was  shot  down,  and  the  young  sailor  was 
made  a  prisoner,"  said  the  old  guide,  in  his  native 
tongue.     "They  took  him  to  the  southeastward." 

This  was  translated  to  Ben,  and  he  asked  if 
the  guide  knew  who  was  in  charge  of  the  party. 
He  was  much  astonished  to  learn  that  the  Spaniard 
had  been  General  Jose*  Lupez. 

"My  old  enemy!"  cried  Ben  to  Gilbert.  "I 
wonder  what  he  will  do  when  he  finds  out  that 
Walter  is  my  brother  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  it  won't  help  Walter  any,"  responded 
the  Southerner,  sadly.  "  But  brace  up,  Ben ;  we've 
found  out  that  he  is  alive,  and  that's  something. 
Perhaps  he'll  come  out  of  this  scrape  with  a  whole 
skin,  after  all." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

IN    WHICH    GILBERT    AND    MAJOR    MORRIS    DEPART 
FOR   CHINA 

The  early  months  of  the  new  year  passed  slowly 
for  both  Ben  and  Larry.  The  young  captain's 
command  was  kept  in  the  vicinity  of  Tarlac,  and 
he  had  but  little  to  do  excepting  occasionally  to 
aid  in  making  the  outlying  rebels  keep  their  dis- 
tance. 

The  campaign  around  the  Laguna  de  Bay  was 
now  again  at  its  height,  but  it  was  not  very  much 
different  from  those  which  had  gone  before.  Town 
after  town  were  captured  by  the  Americans,  only 
to  be,  later  on,  abandoned  for  the  want  of  sufficient 
soldiers  with  which  to  garrison  them.  In  the 
meantime  the  civil  commissioners  got  to  work  in 
and  around  Manila,  and  did  what  they  could 
toward  instructing  the  friendly  Filipinos  as  to 
what  was  expected  of  them  under  American  rule. 
This  was  up-hill  work,  for  our  institutions  are 
vastly  different   from   those  of   Spain,  under  which 

276 


GILBERT   AND   MAJOR   MORRIS   DEPART         27f 

these  people  had  formerly  lived,  and,  consequently, 
but  slow  progress  was  made. 

The  navy,  meanwhile,  was  not  altogether  idle. 
Rear-Admiral  Watson  was  now  in  command,  and 
his  ships  did  what  they  could  toward  keeping  the 
Filipinos  along  shore  in  submission.  Occasionally 
a  gunboat  would  steam  up  a  river  or  along  one  of 
the  lakes  and  aid  the  army  in  its  movements.  The 
ships  were  also  sent  to  the  other  islands,  and  this 
gave  Larry  and  Si  a  chance  to  visit  Mindanao, 
the  next  largest  island  to  Luzon,  and  also  Panay, 
one  of  the  smaller  of  the  group. 

During  the  time  spent  by  Ben  at  Tarlac  a  num- 
ber of  the  volunteers  were  mustered  out  of  the 
service.  Among  this  number  were  Gilbert  Pen- 
nington and  Major  Morris  and  the  two  old  soldier 
chums,  Carl  Stummer  and  Dan  Casey.  Gilbert 
and  the  major  at  once  reenlisted  in  the  regular 
army  service,  and  not  long  after  Stummer  and 
Casey  followed.  On  the  day  that  Gilbert  and  the 
major  signed  the  muster-roll  a  recommendation  for 
advancement  was  sent  in  by  their  superior,  and  not 
long  after  this  the  major  was  appointed  acting  com- 
mander of  the  first  battalion  of  the  regiment  he 
had  joined,  with  a  commission  as  captain.     Gilbert 


278  "UNDER   MacARTHUR    IN   LUZON 

received  a  commission  as  a  first  lieutenant.  Both 
honors  came  as  the  result,  so  the  papers  stated, 
•'of  special  bravery  exhibited  at  the  capture  of  the 
Filipino  guerilla,  General  Pompona  Adoz."  The 
regulars  were  quartered  not  far  from  where  Ben's 
old  regiment  was  stopping,  yet  the  friends  now 
saw  but  little  of  each  other. 

The  retirement  of  Major  Morris  made  a  vacancy 
among  the  majors,  and  no  one  in  the  regiment  was 
surprised  when  Ben  became  acting  major  of  the 
third  battalion,  the  other  majors  moving  up  to  the 
first  and  the  second  battalions.  Ben  had  reen- 
listed  for  six  months,  and  in  March  his  commission 
as  a  full-fledged  major  reached  him. 

"  Major  Russell,  allow  me  to  congratulate  you," 
said  Colonel  Darcy,  as  he  shook  Ben  warmly  by 
the  hand.  "  You  deserve  your  promotion.  I  trust 
that  some  day  you  will  go  still  higher  in  the  ranks." 

"  Thank  you,  colonel,  but  the  rank  of  major  is 
quite  high  enough  for  me.  Besides,  I  would  not 
want  to  take  your  place  from  you  —  excepting  you 
became  a  general." 

"No,  Major  Russell,  as  long  as  I  remain  here,  I 
wish  to  stay  at  the  head  of  my  own  regiment." 

"  And  I  want  to  stay  with  our  boys,  too,  colonel. 


GILBERT   AND    MAJOR   MORRIS   DEPART  279 

I  can  tell  you  candidly,  it  was  quite  a  trial  to  give 
up  Company  D." 

"I  shall  arrange  it  so  that  you  can  have  your 
company  in  your  battalion  before  long,"  returned 
the  colonel ;  and  there  the  conversation  came  to  an 
end. 

During  all  the  weary  time  spent  around  Tarlac 
Ben  heard  nothing  of  Walter,  nor  of  General  Jose* 
Lupez,  although  he  closely  questioned  every  Fili- 
pino brought  into  the  lines.  Once  he  heard  of 
some  American  prisoners  being  kept  at  a  place 
called  Mount  Ararat,  but  when  the  village  was 
captured  by  our  troops  and  the  prisoners  released, 
Walter  was  not  among  them,  nor  had  any  of  the 
released  ones  heard  of  the  young  sailor. 

"He  must  be  dead,"  said  Ben  to  Larry,  when 
the  latter  took  a  run  up  to  see  him.  "  If  he  was 
alive,  we  would  surely  hear  from  him,  one  way  or 
another." 

Larry's  face  grew  very  sober.  "  Oh,  Ben,  I  hope 
you  are  mistaken,"  he  returned.  "  I  cannot,  can- 
not think  of  dear  Walter  as  being  dead ! "  And 
the  tears  welled  up  in  his  eyes  and  rolled  down 
his  sunburnt  cheeks. 

Larry  had  come  up  from   Manila,  where  he  had 


280  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN   LUZON 

met  his  old  friend,  Captain  Ponsberry,  of  the  Colum- 
bia, the  schooner  in  which  the  young  tar  had  once 
sailed  from  Honolulu  to  Hong  Kong. 

"  Captain  Ponsberry  says  the  natives  along  the 
coast  are  watching  for  every  ship  that  comes  in 
close,  hoping  to  tackle  her,"  said  Larry. 

"  Is  he  here  for  a  cargo  ? " 

"  No,  he  brought  over  some  goods  for  an  American 
firm  —  the  Richmond  Importing  Company.  From 
here  he  is  going  to  sail  for  China,  I  believe.  By 
the  way,  Ben,  do  you  know  that  it  looks  as  if  there 
would  be  trouble  in  China  before  long?"  went  on 
Larry,  after  a  pause.  "Down  in  Manila  I  heard 
some  talk  about  United  States  troops  to  be  sent 
there." 

"  Well,  I  don't  want  to  go,  Larry.  To  tell  the 
truth,  I  am  getting  tired  of  the  army  —  now  that 
regular  battles  seem  to  have  come  to  an  end." 

"And  I  am  just  a  bit  tired  of  the  navy.  If  we 
could  find  Walter  and  get  that  money  Jose*  Lupez 
stole,  I  think  I'd  be  for  going  home  as  soon  as  our 
present  time  is  out." 

"I  don't  care  for  the  money  as  much  as  I  did. 
If  only  we  could  find  Walter,  I  would  be  satisfied. 
What  does  Si  Doring  think  of  the  matter?" 


GILBERT    AND   MAJOR   MORRIS   DEPART  281 

"  Oh,  he  is  all  cut  up  over  it,  and  my  old  friends 
—  Luke  and  the  others  —  are  awfully  sorry  on  my 
account,  too." 

"  If  I  could  gain  the  slightest  clew  to  his  where- 
abouts, I  would  organize  an  expedition  to  rescue 
him,"  went  on  the  newly  appointed  major. 

"  This  Jose*  Lupez  ought  to  be  able  to  tell  some- 
thing about  him." 

"  Yes,  but  where  are  you  going  to  find  the  ras- 
cal?    He  seems  to  have  disappeared  utterly." 

"  Is  his  brother  still  in  prison  at  Manila  ?  I  for- 
got to  ask  when  I  was  down  there." 

"  Yes." 

"  I  wonder  if  he  doesn't  get  any  letters  from 
his  brother?  I  understand  the  two  are  alone  in 
the  world.  I  shouldn't  think  they  would  forget 
each  other  entirely." 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  that,  Larry.  Perhaps  it 
would  pay  to  have  this  Benedicto  Lupez  watched 
closely.  We  might  get  some  kind  of  a  clew  to 
work  on.  I  know  some  of  the  prison  authorities, 
and  I'll  drop  them  a  line  at  once,  and  you  can 
leave  it  at  the  prison  when  you  go  back.  What 
have  they  done  with  Braxton  Bogg  ? " 

"Shipped    him    back    to   the    United    States   for 


282  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

trial.  They  say  he  is  sure  of  ten  or  twenty  years 
in  State's  prison." 

"  It  will  serve  him  right,  and  the  Lupezes  ought 
to  get  the  same." 

"I  think  so  myself,  although  they  may  look  at 
it  in  the  light  that  all  is  fair  in  war,"  concluded 
Larry. 

Larry  returned  to  Manila  that  night,  taking  with 
him  a  note  Ben  had  written  for  the  prison  authori- 
ties. The  young  tar  was  now  on  shore  duty  and 
would  therefore  be  able  to  call  at  the  prison  for 
possible  news  every  few  days. 

The  next  week  was  more  busy  for  the  young 
major  than  any  had  been  since  going  into  camp 
near  Tarlac.  The  rebels  to  the  northeastward  be- 
came active  again,  and  he  had  to  take  out  his 
battalion  as  far  as  the  village  of  Masalano,  where 
the  soldiers  experienced  a  running  fight  for  two 
days  through  the  jungles  and  swamps.  A  Filipino 
camp  was  broken  up  and  considerable  army  stores 
gathered  in.  During  the  expedition  it  rained  al- 
most constantly,  and  the  small  streams  to  be  crossed 
became  veritable  mountain  torrents. 

On  his  return  to  camp  Ben  was  surprised  to 
learn  that  Gilbert,  Major  Morris,  and  the   regulars 


GILBERT   AND   MAJOR   MORRIS   DEPART  283 

to  which  the  two  belonged  had  struck  camp  and 
marched  for  Manila.  "  They  are  bound  for  China," 
said  Colonel  Darcy.  "  The  Boxers  in  that  country 
have  started  a  revolution,  or  something  like  it,  and 
some  of  Uncle  Sam's  men  are  wanted  in  Pekin 
and  elsewhere  to  protect  American  interests." 

"  China !  "  cried  the  young  major.  "  Who  ever 
dreamed  that  Uncle  Sam  would  send  troops  to 
that  country ! " 

"  Matters  look  mighty  black  there,  major.  I 
wouldn't  be  surprised  if  Major  Morris  and  Lieu- 
tenant Gilbert  see  a  whole  lot  of  righting  before 
they  come  back." 

"  I  am  sorry  I  didn't  see  the  major  and  Penning- 
ton, to  bid  them  good-by." 

"They  were  sorry,  too.  They  may  stay  in 
Manila  for  a  while,  and  if  so,  and  things  remain 
quiet  here,  you  can  run  down  and  see  them  off." 
And  so  it  was  arranged.  Ben  went  down  to  Ma- 
nila as  soon  as  he  could  get  away,  anxious  not 
only  to  see  his  friends,  but  also  to  learn  if  Larry 
had  received  any  word  from  the  prison  authorities. 

"Nothing  yet,"  said  Larry,  when  the  brothers 
met.  "  But  one  of  the  keepers,  a  man  named 
Provost,  is  certain  that  Benedicto  Lupez   is   up   to 


284        UNDER  MacARTHUR  IN"  LUZON 

something  out  of  the  ordinary,  and  he  is  watching 
the  rascal  night  and  day." 

In  Manila  they  met  Gilbert  and  Major  Morris. 
Gilbert  had  some  private  matters  to  attend  to  — ■ 
concerning  the  Richmond  Importing  Company  —  and 
had  Larry  take  him  to  see  Captain  Nat  Ponsberry. 

"  Yes,  we  are  really  off  for  China,"  said  the 
young  Southerner.  "I  must  confess  I  didn't  look 
for  this  when  I  enlisted  in  the  regulars.  But  I 
must  say  I  am  not  sorry."  A  few  days  later  Gil- 
bert Pennington  was  sailing  away  from  Manila, 
in  company  with  Major  Morris,  Carl  Stummer,  Dan 
Casey,  and  a  number  of  others  we  have  known  in 
these  pages.  What  the  further  adventures  of  these 
characters  were  will  be  found  in  another  volume 
entitled,  "  On  to  Pekin ;  or,  Old  Glory  in  China." 
Ben  was  very  sorry  to  lose  his  old  chum,  but 
wished  not  only  Gilbert  but  likewise  the  others 
the  best  of  good  luck. 

"  They  are  going  to  carry  the  stars  and  stripes 
into  a  strange  quarter  of  the  globe,"  said  the  young 
major.  "I  trust  none  of  them  get  killed  or  seri- 
ously wounded." 

"Trust  Gilbert  to  take  care  of  himself,"  replied 
Larry.     "I  never   met   a  fellow  so  plucky  before." 


GILBERT   AND   MAJOR   MORRIS   DEPART  285 

Ben  had  an  errand  to  Uncle  Sam's  tailor  while 
at  Manila,  for  his  old  uniform  was  worn  out,  and 
he  must  be  measured  for  a  new  one,  as  befitted  a 
newly  appointed  major.  He  took  Larry  with  him 
to  the  building  in  which  uniforms  were  stored, 
altered,  and  made,  and  soon  had  his  errand  over. 

"We  had  something  in  the  way  of  excitement 
here  last  night,"  said  one  of  the  tailors.  "  Some 
natives  broke  in  and  made  off  with  about  thirty 
suits." 

"Didn't  they  catch  the  thieves?" 

"  They  caught  one  of  the  fellows  and  recovered 
ten  suits.  But  the  other  rascals  got  away,  and 
twenty  suits  are  still  missing.  It  does  beat  the 
nation  how  those  natives  can  do  it,  with  so  many 
of  our  soldiers  around." 

"You  have  no  trace  of  those  who  got  away?" 

"No.  They  went  off  through  a  back  alley, — 
the  one  that  runs  beside  the  prison,  —  and  that  was 
the  last  seen  of  them.  The  guard  fired  three  shots, 
but  they  did  no  good,"  concluded  the  tailor.  Then 
he  turned  to  others  who  were  waiting,  and  Ben 
and  Larry  walked  away,  little  dreaming  of  how 
important  to  them  was  the  news  they  had  just 
heard. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  STIRRING  ADVENTURE  IN  MANILA 

"  What  do  you  suppose  those  thieves  intend  to  do 
with  the  uniforms  they  stole  ? "  said  Larry,  as  he 
and  Ben  moved  down  a  side  street  not  far  from  the 
prison  in  which  Benedicto  Lupez  was  confined. 
"  They  can't  sell  them  and  they  certainly  won't  dare 
to  wear  them." 

"  I  think  they'll  dare  to  wear  anything  while  in 
the  Filipino  encampments,  Larry." 

"  But  can  they  get  through  our  lines  with  the 
goods  ?  " 

"I  am  afraid  so.  You  know  the  pickets  can't 
cover  everything,  on  very  dark  nights,  no  matter 
how  sharp  they  are," 

"  Well,  it's  a  funny  steal,  to  my  mind.  Can  it  be 
possible  that  some  of  the  natives  intend  to  disguise 
themselves  as  United  States  soldiers  and  carry  out 
some  plot  against  us  ?  " 

"  That  might  be  so.  But  it  would  be  a  ticklish 
job." 

286 


A   STIRRING    ADVENTURE   IN   MANILA  287 

So  the  talk  ran  on  until  they  reached  a  corner 
upon  which  stood  one  of  the  numerous  saloons 
which  had  opened  since  the  American  occupancy  of 
Manila.  Above  the  saloon  were  living  rooms,  and 
happening  to  glance  at  one  of  the  windows  Ben  saw 
a  dark,  frowning  face  peering  down  at  him.  The 
face  looked  strangely  familiar,  and  Ben  pointed 
excitedly  with  his  hand. 

"  Look,  Larry !     Who  is  that?  " 

Larry  turned  to  gaze  up,  and  by  this  time  the  face 
and  form  had  been  withdrawn. 

"  I  see  nobody,  Ben." 

"  It  was  Benedicto  Lupez  !  " 

"  Impossible !  Why,  he  is  in  prison.  I  saw  him 
there  only  two  days  ago." 

"  If  it  wasn't  Lupez,  it  was  his  double." 

"  Perhaps  it  was  Jose*  Lupez." 

"  No ;  the  brother  looks  different.  I  am  pretty 
certain  it  was  Benedicto.  And  he  wore  a  United 
States  uniform,  too ! "  added  the  young  major, 
suddenly. 

Without  waiting  to  say  more,  he  ran  to  the  side 
door  of  the  house,  to  find  it  tightly  locked.  Then 
he  went  around  to  the  front  and  entered  the  saloon. 
Larry  came  behind  him. 


288  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

The  resort  was  a  low-ceiled  apartment,  badly 
ventilated,  and  reeking  from  the  smell  of  beer  and 
tobacco.  Why  such  places  were  permitted  to  exist 
was  a  mystery  to  Ben  and  to  all  others  who  went 
in  for  order  and  decency.  Behind  the  dirty  bar 
stood  a  tall,  lean,  and  yellow-faced  Westerner,  prob- 
ably a  man  who  had  been  run  out  of  some  mining 
camp  for  the  good  of  the  community  at  large. 

"  I  want  to  go  upstairs,"  said  Ben,  shortly.  "  How 
can  I  get  up  ? " 

"  Wanter  go  upstairs,  stranger  ?  "  drawled  the  man, 
eying  the  young  major  sharply.  "  Wot  fer,  ef  I 
may  enquire  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  see  the  man  who  is  in  hiding  up 
there." 

"Ain't  no  feller  hidin'  up  thar,  stranger.  Must 
be  some  mistake." 

"There  is  no  mistake,  and  I  shall  go  up,"  said 
Ben,  quietly.     "  Come,  Larry." 

He  started  for  the  rear  of  the  saloon,  where  there 
was  a  partly  enclosed  stairway  leading  upward. 
With  a  rush  the  keeper  of  the  resort  came  from 
behind  the  bar  and  confronted  him. 

"  Yer  can't  go  up,  an'  thet  settles  it,"  he  snarled. 

Ben  stepped  back.     "  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  " 


"  I  won't  "waste  "words  with  you.     Stand  aside  "     Page  289 


A   STIRRING   ADVENTURE   IN   MANILA  289 

he  asked.  "I  am  Major  Russell,  and  I  shall  go 
upstairs,  even  if  I  have  to  call  in  a  regiment  to  keep 
order." 

"  Well  — -  er  —  this  here  —  "  stammered  the  West- 
erner. 

"  I  won't  waste  words  with  you.     Stand  aside." 

The  keeper  of  the  resort  stood  his  ground  for  a 
second  longer.  Then  a  vision  of  arrest  floated  over 
his  mind,  coupled  with  a  closing  of  his  establishment, 
and  he  shifted  uneasily  to  one  side. 

"  It's  a  mistake,  I  tell  ye,  major.  Ain't  nobody  up 
thar,"  he  said;  but  Ben  did  not  hear  him,  for  the 
reason  that  he  was  already  halfway  up  the  stairs, 
with  Larry  at  his  heels. 

As  the  brothers  gained  the  second  floor,  they  heard 
heavy  footsteps  in  a  rear  hallway,  followed  by  the 
slamming  of  a  door.  Then  came  a  murmur  of  low 
voices. 

"  This  way !  "  cried  Ben,  and  hurried  through  the 
back  hallway,  which  was  semi-dark.  Finding  the 
right  door,  he  attempted  to  open  it,  but  found  it 
barred  from  within. 

"  Open  that  door,"  he  commanded.  Scarcely  had 
he  spoken  when  there  was  the  crack  of  a  pistol,  and 
a  bullet  came  through  the  door   panel  within    six 


290  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

inches  of  his  head.  The  discharge  of  the  weapon 
was  followed  by  more  hasty  footsteps  and  the  slam- 
ming of  a  heavy  wooden  shutter. 

"Oh,  Ben,  are  you  hit?"  The  cry  came  from 
Larry,  and  he  clutched  his  brother  by  the  arm. 

"  No,"  was  the  answer.  "  Run  down  and  summon 
assistance.     Be  quick,  or  the  man  will  get  away !  " 

As  Larry  departed,  leaping  down  the  stairs  three 
steps  at  a  time,  Ben  stepped  back  and  then  hurled 
his  whole  weight  against  the  door.  It  was  a  frail 
structure,  and  went  down  with  a  crash,  sending  the 
splinters  in  all  directions.  Pistol  in  hand,  he  leaped 
into  the  apartment,  only  to  find  it  empty  of  human 
occupants.  But  on  the  floor  rested  several  bundles, 
all  containing  uniforms  —  a  portion  of  the  lot  stolen 
from  the  government  storehouse. 

The  wooden  shutter  opened  out  upon  a  rear  addi- 
tion to  the  building  proper  —  a  sort  of  kitchen  and 
restaurant  combined.  The  roof  sloped  greatly,  so 
that  the  back  end  was  less  than  eight  feet  from  the 
ground.  As  the  young  major  peeped  out  he  was 
in  time  to  see  two  men  leap  from  the  addition  into 
a  narrow  yard  below.  Both  wore  the  uniforms  of 
American  regulars,  but  both  were  undoubtedly 
Spaniards. 


A   STIRRING   ADVENTURE   IN   MANILA  291 

"  Stop ! "  cried  the  young  officer,  and  leaping  out 
on  the  roof  of  the  addition,  he  took  aim  at  the  lead- 
ing fugitive  and  fired.  His  aim  was  a  good  one, 
and  the  man  went  down  with  a  groan,  shot  in  the 
knee.  Then  the  young  major  turned  his  attention 
to  the  second  man,  but  that  individual  disappeared 
around  the  corner  of  another  building,  running  with 
might  and  main  to  get  out  of  range. 

By  this  time  the  excitement  in  the  street  in  front 
of  the  saloon  was  great,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for 
Larry  to  obtain  assistance.  Several  soldiers  who 
happened  to  be  at  hand  ran  to  the  rear  of  the  resort 
with  him,  and  here  Ben  joined  the  party.  The 
wounded  man  was  left  in  care  of  one  of  the  soldiers, 
and  Ben  showed  the  others  the  direction  the  second 
rascal  had  taken.  But  though  the  party  hunted 
around  for  the  best  part  of  the  day,  no  further  trace 
of  the  man  could  be  found. 

On  returning  to  the  wounded  one,  it  was  found 
that  he  was  a  Spaniard  named  Marbon,  who  had  been 
locked  up  in  the  prison  with  Benedicto  Lupez.  Both 
Lupez  and  Marbon  had  slipped  away  from  the  prison 
the  night  before,  and,  joined  by  two  native  sympa- 
thizers, had  broken  into  the  government  storehouse 
and  stolen  the   uniforms,  —  the  natives   taking  the 


292  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

bulk  of  the  goods,  and  Marbon  and  Lupez  going  in 
only  to  get  suits  with  which  to  disguise  themselves. 

The  natives  had  disappeared,  leaving  the  uniforms 
where  Ben  had  found  them.  These  uniforms  were 
afterward  returned  to  the  government,  and  General 
MacArthur,  who  was  now  in  authority  at  Manila, 
ordered  the  saloon  closed  up,  and  the  proprietor  put 
under  bonds  pending  a  further  investigation.  In  the 
end  the  "Westerner  was  found  guilty  of  aiding  the 
enemy  and  sent  to  prison. 

Marbon  seemed  to  be  rather  a  good  fellow,  and 
Ben  felt  sorry  for  him  and  saw  to  it  that  the  Spaniard 
was  given  every  comfort.  In  return  for  this  Marbon 
one  day  said  he  would  like  to  speak  to  the  young 
major  in  private. 

"  I  wish  to  tell  you  about  Benedicto  Lupez,"  said 
the  Spaniard,  when  the  two  were  alone.  "  He  pre- 
tended to  be  my  friend,  but  now  I  am  sure  he  was 
more  of  an  enemy  to  me.  He  used  me  only  in  order 
to  help  himself  to  escape." 

Marbon  then  told  what  he  knew  of  Benedicto 
Lupez's  plans.  He  said  that  the  two  brothers,  Bene- 
dicto and  Jose",  had  planned  to  meet  at  a  village 
called  Neritas,  on  the  main  road  to  Batangas,  a  town 
on  the  south  coast  of  Luzon.     When  they  got  to 


A   STIRRING  ADVENTURE  IN  MANILA  293 

Batangas,  they  were  to  board  a  small  native  ship  and 
sail  for  Panay,  another  of  the  islands,  where  both 
felt  they  would  be  free  from  molestation,  no  matter 
what  happened  to  the  rebel  cause  in  Luzon. 

"  Jose*  is  afraid  that  the  Filipino  cause  is  lost," 
said  Marbon.  "  He  says  he  was  a  fool  to  buy  a  gen- 
eralship in  the  army." 

"  Has  he  the  money  which  was  stolen  by  his 
brother?"  questioned  Ben,  with  deep  interest. 

"  Benedicto  said  he  had  something  like  thirty-five 
thousand  dollars  in  American  money.  The  rest  was 
spent." 

"  How  did  Benedicto  and  you  hear  from  this  Jose* 
Lupez?" 

"  Through  a  native  —  one  of  the  men  who  helped 
to  steal  the  uniforms." 

"  Was  it  this  native  who  helped  you  to  escape 
from  the  prison  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  gave  the  keepers  cigars  which  were 
heavily  drugged  and  which  made  them  stupid  for 
hours.    It  was  a  clever  scheme." 

"  Where  do  you  think  Benedicto  Lupez  is  now  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly  on  his  way  to  Neritas  —  if  he  can 
steal  his  way  through  the  American  lines." 

"  One  thing  more.     Did  you  hear  Benedicto  Lupez 


294  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

say  anything  of  my  brother,  Walter  Russell,  who  was 
once  the  captive  of  Jose*  Lupez  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes!  He  had  a  letter  from  Jose\  and  in  that 
Jose*  said  the  sailor  boy  was  still  in  his  power.  He 
told  Benedicto  that  he  would  keep  the  sailor  boy  a 
prisoner,  and  if  Benedicto  got  into  a  bad  corner,  to 
call  upon  you,  and  get  you  to  help  him  —  or  else  the 
sailor  boy  would  be   tortured  and  killed." 

"  The  wretch ! "  burst  out  the  young  major,  and 
could  not  help  but  shiver ;  "  I  see  through  his  plot. 
Perhaps  he  thought  that  at  some  time  he  could  bribe 
me,  through  Walter,  to  aid  Benedicto  to  escape  from 
the  American  authorities." 

"  That  is  the  point,  Sefior  Russell ;  he  is  a  deep 
one,  trust  my  word  for  it." 

A  look  of  bitterness  crossed  Ben's  face.  "  If  this 
is  true,  it  will  go  hard  with  my  brother,  now  Bene- 
dicto Lupez  is  free.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  my 
brother  was  killed  when  the  two  Lupezes  get  together 
—  they  are  so  down  on  all  of  us."  He  paused  for  a 
moment.     "  How  far  is  Neritas  from  here  ?" 

This  question  Marbon  could  not  answer,  but  the 
young  major  learned  from  others  that  the  village  was 
thirty  miles  to  the  southeast  of  Manila.  For  two- 
thirds  of  this  distance  the  country  was  clear  of  insur- 


A   STIRRING   ADVENTURE   IN   MANILA  295 

gents,  —  but   what   was   beyond   nobody  seemed   to 
know. 

Determined  to'  act,  and  that  quickly,  the  young 
officer  interviewed  his  colonel,  and  both  went  to  see 
General  MacArthur.  A  private  conversation  lasting 
almost  quarter  of  an  hour  ensued,  and  at  the  conclu- 
sion Ben  was  given  permission  to  take  his  battalion 
from  Tarlac,  bring  them  to  Manila,  and  then  turn  to 
the  southeast  and  push  on  through  Cavite  Province 
and  Neritas,  in  an  endeavor  to  rescue  Walter  and 
bring  Benedicto  and  Jose"  Lupez  to  swift  justice. 


CHAPTEE  XXX 

LAST   BATTLE  WITH   THE  INSURGENTS  — 
CONCLUSION 

"  "We  must  find  and  rescue  Walter,  no  matter  at 
what  cost." 

Such  were  Ben  Russell's  words  to  his  brother 
Larry,  when  the  battalion  set  out  from  Manila,  after 
only  a  two  hours'  rest  at  the  capital.  The  young 
major  had  lost  not  a  minute  in  bringing  his  men 
down  from  Tarlac,  and  he  had  made  an  address  to 
them  which  had  aroused  them  as  never  before. 

"  We'll  follow  you  anywhere,  Major  Russell,"  said 
one  of  the  oldest  privates.  "  Just  you  show  us  what 
you  want,  that's  all." 

Larry  had  obtained  permission  to  accompany  his 
brother,  and  the  two  pushed  on  side  by  side.  With 
the  battalion  went  four  native  carts,  piled  high  with 
stores,  for  there  was  no  telling  how  long  the  com- 
mand would  be  away  from  a  base  of  supplies. 
General  MacArthur  had  considered  the  enterprise 
somewhat  foolhardy,  and  had  warned  Ben  of  the  risk 
to  be  run. 

"  Be  careful,"  had  been  his  parting  words.     "  Re- 
296 


LAST   BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION  297 

member,  we  cannot  afford  to  lose  too  many  officers 
and  men.  You  have  a  good  record  to  your  credit  — 
do  not  spoil  it ; "  and  Ben  had  promised  to  advance 
with  all  caution.  Yet  he  was  ready  to  "  stick  his  head 
into  the  lion's  mouth,"  as  the  saying  is,  if  only 
Walter  could  be  rescued  by  the  movement. 

During  the  first  two  days  on  the  road  but  little 
out  of  the  ordinary  happened.  They  passed  through 
a  dozen  villages,  some  deserted  and  some  occupied 
by  American  troops  and  friendly  natives.  The 
weather  was  hot  and  muggy  and  the  greatest  suffer- 
ing was  on  account  of  the  atmospheric  conditions. 

At  their  last  stopping  place,  Vobafia,  they  heard 
that  the  regulars  two  miles  to  the  westward  had  had 
a  brush  with  the  rebels  two  days  before,  in  which 
half  a  dozen  on  each  side  were  wounded.  It  was 
reported  that  the  Filipinos  had  fled  southward. 

"  We'll  soon  catch  up  to  them,"  said  the  young 
major,  and  he  was  right.  They  came  upon  the  rear 
guard  of  the  Filipinos  the  next  morning  at  ten 
o'clock,  and  a  short  engagement  ensued  during 
which  three  Tagals  were  wounded  and  one  killed. 
The  rest  of  the  band  left  the  highway  and  took  to 
the  mountains,  and  the  major  did  not  undertake  to 
follow  them. 


298  UNDER   MacAETHUE   IN   LUZON 

Late  that  afternoon  the  battalion  reached  Neritas, 
to  find  part  of  the  village  in  flames.  The  rebels 
had  left  the  place  two  hours  before,  after  a  bitter 
quarrel  with  some  of  the  inhabitants,  who  were 
inclined  to  accept  American  rule.  The  principal 
dwellings  of  the  town  had  been  ransacked  and 
everything  of  value  'carted  off.  In  justice  to  Agui- 
naldo  it  must  be  said  that  the  Filipino  Dictator, 
later  on,  disclaimed  all  knowledge  of  this  looting,  and 
insisted  that  it  had  been  done  by  guerillas  without 
authority  from  any  one.  The  flames  could  not  be 
extinguished  easily,  and  one-third  of  Neritas  was  con- 
sumed before  the  fire  died  out. 

The  chief  man  in  the  town  was  a  highly  educated 
Tagal  who  had  but  recently  been  to  Manila  for 
instructions  in  civic  government  —  according  to 
American  ideas.  He  greeted  Ben  warmly  and  said 
he  would  give  the  troops  all  the  assistance  in  his 
power. 

"  The  rebels  were  under  the  leadership  of  Captain 
Relosus,  of  the  sharpshooters  —  "  he  began. 

"  Captain  Relosus  —  my  old  enemy  —  the  rascal 
who  once  tried  to  burn  Manila ! "  burst  out  the 
young  major.     "I  owe  him  a  good  deal." 

"  Yes,  it  was  this  same  Relosus  who  aided  in  the 


LAST   BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION  299 

Manila  conspiracy.  He  is  a  very  bad  man  —  he 
robbed  my  house  of  a  good  deal." 

"  And  who  else  were  in  the  party  ?  " 

"A  Spaniard  named  Jose  Lupez,  who  came  up 
from  the  lake  to  meet  his  brother,  a  fugitive  from 
the  capital." 

"And  did  he  meet  his  brother?" 

"I  believe  he  did.  At  least,  I  saw  him  with 
another  Spaniard,  and  the  two  looked  somewhat 
alike." 

"  It  was  undoubtedly  Benedicto  Lupez.  Did  the 
rebels  have  a  prisoner  with  them,  a  young  American 
sailor  ?  " 

"I  saw  no  prisoners.  We  had  a  great  dispute, 
which  ended  in  a  fight.  Then  our  homes  were 
robbed  and  set  on  fire,  and  the  rascals  departed  in 
all  haste  on  the  road  to  Batangas." 

"  How  many  were  there  in  the  party  ?  " 

"About  a  hundred  came  first.  Just  before  the 
others  left,  over  a  hundred  more  came  up." 

"  And  they  marched  on  the  highway  ?  " 

"Yes." 

Ben  said  no  more,  but  with  all  speed  gathered  his 
battalion  together,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  the 
soldiers   were   on   the    highway   in   pursuit   of    the 


300  "UNDER   MacARTHUR    IN   LUZON 

guerillas,  for  such  these  rebels  must  properly  be 
called.  The  men  were  tired  out,  but  Ben  urged 
them  on,  and  they  were  willing  to  do  almost  any- 
thing for  him. 

It  was  a  clear  starlit  night,  and  the  highway  was 
a  fairly  good  one,  although  here  and  there  were 
marshy  places.  Ben  kept  at  the  head  of  his  com- 
mand, with  Larry  beside  him,  and  scarcely  a  word 
was  spoken.  All  felt  that  a  time  of  importance  was 
not  far  off. 

The  time  came  shortly  after  midnight.  A  turn 
of  the  road  had  brought  them  in  sight  of  a  guerilla 
camp,  and  scarcely  was  the  place  discovered  when 
several  rifle  shots  rang  out,  and  two  of  the  Americans 
fell  back  wounded. 

"  We  are  on  them,  boys ! "  shouted  the  young 
major.  "  Give  it  to  them  now !  Make  every  shot 
tell ! " 

It  is  doubtful  if  his  command  was  heard,  for  the 
Americans  were  already  firing,  pouring  volley  after 
volley  into  the  guerillas,  who  had  been  taken  by  sur- 
prise. The  enemy,  however,  occupied  ground  which 
was  a  trifle  higher  than  the  roadway,  and  this  was  to 
their  advantage. 

Ben  and  Larry  were  to  the  front  in  the  attack, 


LAST   BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION  301 

and  both  fired  their  weapons  as  often  as  did  any- 
body. The  light  was  uncertain,  and  it  was  largely 
a  go-as-you-please  encounter.  The  cracking  of  rifles 
was  incessant,  and  presently  hand-to-hand  encounters 
became  numerous. 

Ben's  eyes  were  wide  open  for  a  sight  of  Jose* 
Lupez,  and  before  long  he  saw  both  Jose*  and  Bene- 
dicto  sneaking  behind  some  trees,  in  an  endeavor  to 
get  out  of  the  encounter  entirely. 

'*  See,  there  they  go ! "  cried  the  young  major. 
"  They  are  trying  to  escape.  Come,  Larry  !  "  And 
away  he  sped,  with  Larry  at  his  side  and  a  dozen  from 
the  ranks  following.  A  number  of  shots  whistled 
around  the  Americans,  and  Ben  was  grazed  in  the  side. 
Then  our  friends  let  drive  several  times  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, and  Benedicto  Lupez  was  seen  to  pitch  over 
on  his  side.  He  had  been  struck  in  the  heart  and 
was  dead  before  the  others  reached  him. 

But  Jose1  Lupez  kept  on,  and  now  he  was  joined 
by  several  others,  including  Captain  Relosus.  The 
Filipino  sharpshooter  was  aware  that  the  fight  was 
going  against  his  side,  and  was  willing  to  do  any- 
thing to  save  himself  from  being  shot  down  or 
captured. 

"  They  are  going  to  get  away  if  they  can ! "  ex- 


302  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

claimed  Larry,  as  the  fleeing  party  turned  toward 
a  jungle,  up  a  hillside.  "  We  can  never  stir  them 
out  of  that  in  this  darkness." 

"  They  must  not  escape,  Larry,"  came  from  Ben. 
And  he  added  in  a  whisper,  "  Remember  poor 
Walter." 

On  they  went  with  renewed  energy,  and  now 
Captain  Relosus  came  again  into  view.  Turning, 
he  fired  point  blank  at  Larry,  and  the  young  sailor 
received  a  bad  nip  in  the  forearm.  Crack!  went 
Ben's  pistol,  and  the  sharpshooter  staggered  but  did 
not  fall.  He  cried  to  his  men  to  aid  him,  but  nobody 
paid  any  attention.  Several  of  the  American  soldiers 
ran  to  him,  but  he  tried  to  wave  them  away. 

"  Mercy  !  "  he  screamed.  "  Mercy !  I  surrender !  " 
Scarcely  had  the  words  passed  his  lips  than  a  shot 
came  from  the  jungle,  striking  directly  through  his 
neck.  The  bullet  was  fired  by  one  of  the  captain's 
own  followers,  and  was  meant  for  an  American  sol- 
dier standing  behind  the  rebel.  The  noted  guerilla 
did  not  die  on  the  spot,  but  breathed  his  last  on 
the  evening  of  the  next  day. 

Finding  they  could  not  hide  in  the  jungle,  Jose* 
Lupez,  with  only  a  handful  of  followers,  took  a 
semicircular   course   behind   some   rocks,   re-crossed 


LAST  BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION        303 

the  road,  and  began  to  wade  a  deep  stream  running 
to  the  eastward.  But  the  watercourse  was  a  treach- 
erous one,  and  in  the  very  centre  the  Spaniard  got 
stuck,  and  found  it  impossible  to  budge  himself. 

"  Hi !  help  me  !  "  he  roared  in  Spanish,  but  nobody 
paid  attention  to  him,  and  his  voice  soon  guided  Ben, 
Larry,  and  several  privates  to  the  spot.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  other  rebels  continued  to  run  and  were 
soon  out  of  hearing. 

"  Surrender !  "  cried  Ben,  as  soon  as  he  saw  Jose* 
Lupez.     "  Surrender,  or  we  will  kill  you." 

"  I  surrendor !  I  surrendor !  "  wailed  the  badly 
frightened  Spaniard,  and  shaking  in  every  limb  he 
threw  his  pistols  to  the  shore.  He  was  told  to  follow, 
but  soon  convinced  Ben  that  he  was  indeed  stuck. 
Then  a  rope  was  procured,  and  he  was  hauled  out 
of  the  river  bed  more  dead  than  alive. 

By  this  time  the  attack  on  the  camp  had  come  to 
an  end,  the  rebels  flying  in  all  directions.  All  their 
stores  and  the  things  which  they  had  stolen  were 
left  behind,  and  Ben's  command  took  charge  of 
everything.  It  was  the  last  seen  of  the  insurgents  in 
that  neighborhood  for  a  long  while  to  come. 

When  first  questioned  about  Walter,  Jose"  Lupez 
refused  to  say  a  word.     But  Ben  was  now  in  no  humor 


304  UNDER   MacAKTHUR   IN   LUZON 

for  trifling,  and  he  sternly  told  the  Spaniard  he  must 
confess  or  it  would  be  the  worse  for  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  drew  his  pistol.  The  sight  of  the  weapon 
had  the  desired  effect,  and  Lupez  fell  upon  his 
knees,  begging  for  mercy.  "  No  shoot !  "  he  cried  in 
Spanish.  "  I  will  confess.  I  have  not  harmed  your 
brother.  He  is  at  Canas,  at  the  house  of  one  Pedro 
Borillo.     Go  there,  and  you  will  find  him  safe." 

"  And  where  is  the  money  you  stole  ?  " 

"  At  Canas,  too,  in  a  tin  box  I  left  with  Pedro 
Borillo." 

This  ended  the  talk,  and  early  in  the  morning  Ben 
and  Larry,  with  a  picked  guard  of  thirty  soldiers, 
hurried  to  the  town  of  Canas,  three  miles  distant. 
They  found  the  place  in  a  flutter,  for  the  inhabitants 
had  heard  of  the  encounter  on  the  road,  and  white 
flags  were  everywhere  in  evidence. 

"  I  wish  to  visit  the  house  of  Pedro  Borillo,"  said 
Ben,  to  the  first  natives  he  met,  and  they  readily 
showed  him  to  the  place,  a  pretty  cottage  set  in  a  wil- 
derness of  tropical  flowers.  Their  coming  filled  a  very 
old  Filipino  woman  with  great  alarm.  She  could  not 
speak  English,  nor  even  straight  Spanish,  and  so  they 
pushed  their  way  into  the  cottage  without  stopping 
to  talk  to  her.     Inside,  they  saw  an  old  man,  doubled 


LAST   BATTLE CONCLUSION  305 

up  with  rheumatism,  sitting  on  a  bed  in  a  corner. 
This  was  Pedro  Borillo,  and  he  was  even  more  alarmed 
than  the  old  woman  had  been. 

"  Yes !  yes !  Jose*  Lupez  brought  the  young  sailor 
here,"  he  said  in  Spanish.  "  I  know  not  why  he  did 
it.  But  he  told  me  it  was  all  right.  I  trust  I  have 
not  done  wrong.     He  said  —  " 

A  stamping  on  the  floor  overhead  interrupted  the 
man's  speech,  and  seeing  a  ladder  in  the  corner  of  the 
room,  Ben  ran  for  it.  But  Larry  was  ahead  of  him, 
and  both  scrambled  up  like  mad. 

"Walter!" 

"  Ben  and  Larry !  I  thought  I  recognized  your 
voices.  Thank  God  you  have  come ! "  And  then 
Walter,  thin,  pale,  and  scarcely  strong  enough  to 
stand  upright,  threw  himself  first  into  Ben's  arms 
and  then  into  Larry's.  It  was  a  moment  of  supreme 
joy  and  one  long  to  be  remembered. 

"  I  was  afraid  I  should  never  be  rescued,"  said 
Walter,  when  he  felt  like  talking.  "And  I  was  so 
miserable  that  more  than  once  I  almost  wished  I 
was  dead.  I  have  been  in  Jose"  Lupez's  clutches 
ever  since  I  was  caught  in  the  mountains  by  him 
and  his  guard.  I  tried  to  escape  a  dozen  times,  but 
they  watched  me  too  closely." 


306  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

Walter's  hands  were  tied  behind  him,  and  he  was 
also  tied  to  a  ring  in  the  floor  by  a  rope  passed  around 
his  left  ankle.  He  said,  however,  that  the  Borillos 
had  treated  him  quite  fairly,  .much  better  than  had 
the  soldiers  under  Lupez. 

Taking  their  brother  below,  Ben  and  Larry  saw  to 
it  that  he  was  given  every  attention  which  he  needed, 
and  then  the  young  major  asked  about  the  tin  box 
Lupez  had  mentioned.  Not  daring  to  keep  it,  Pedro 
Borillo  brought  it  up  from  a  hole  under  the  cottage 
floor,  and  it  was  found  to  contain  thirty-five  thousand 
dollars  in  American  and  Spanish  money,  besides  a 
number  of  private  papers  belonging  to  Jose*  Lupez. 

"  For  once  the  rascal  spoke  the  truth,"  said  Larry. 

"  Because  I  scared  it  out  of  him,"  answered  Ben, 
with  a  short  laugh.  He  was  more  light-hearted  than 
he  had  been  since  coming  to  the  Philippines. 

The  soldiers  rested  at  Canas  for  twenty-four  hours 
and  then  marched  to  join  the  rest  of  the  battalion. 
A  native  cart  was  called  into  service  for  Walter,  and 
in  this  he  was  taken  to  Negritas,  where  the  battalion 
rested  for  a  week.  When  the  command  got  back  to 
Manila,  Walter  was  taken  to  the  hospital  for  rest, 
while  Jose*  Lupez  and  several  other  prisoners  were 
put  where  they  deserved   to  be  —  behind  the  bars. 


LAST   BATTLE — CONCLUSION  307 

The  money  which  had  been  recovered  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  authorities,  for  safe  keeping  until 
called  for  by  the  officers  of  the  Hearthstone  Saving 
Institution  of  Buffalo. 

It  was  a  happy  little  gathering  at  the  hospital  on 
the  following  Sunday  evening,  —  Walter  in  an  easy- 
chair,  with  Ben  on  one  side  of  him  and  Larry  on  the 
other,  and  each  holding  a  hand  of  the  invalid. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  it's  mighty  good  to  be  together 
once  more,"  said  Larry.  "  I  must  say,  I  trust  we  are 
never  to  be  separated  again." 

At  this  Walter  smiled  faintly.  "You  forget,  I 
haven't  done  anything  out  here  yet  for  Uncle  Sam." 

"  And  I  don't  think  you'll  be  called  on  to  do  any- 
thing," put  in  Ben.  "  This  war  is  practically  over, 
and  unless  something  new  turns  up,  I'm  going  home 
when  my  time  runs  out." 

"  And  I'm  going  home,  too,"  added  Larry.  And 
then,  giving  Walter's  hand  a  tight  squeeze,  he 
added :  "  You  must  go  with  us,  Walter.  For  the 
present  I  think  the  Russell  brothers  have  done 
enough  for  the  honor  of  Old  Glory." 


A  few  words  more,  and  we  shall  bring  to  a  close 
this  tale  of  war  adventure  in  the  Philippines. 


308  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN   LUZON 

As  Ben  said,  the  war  was  now  practically  over. 
According  to  General  MacArthur's  report,  the 
insurgents  were  badly  scattered  in  all  directions, 
while  the  larger  portion  of  their  leaders  were  either 
under  arrest  or  had  become  friendly  to  the  United 
States.  At  Manila  and  other  large  cities  business 
was  picking  up  rapidly,  and  the  American  authorities 
were  doing  all  in  their  power  to  restore  order,  open 
up  the  courts  and  schools,  and  bring  matters  to  a 
satisfactory  conclusion.  The  fighting  still  in  prog- 
ress belonged  merely  to  a  sort  of  guerilla  warfare 
which  was  likely  to  continue,  especially  in  mountain- 
ous territories,  for  years. 

Ben's  successful  expedition  to  Negritas  and  Canas 
won  for  him  additional  praise  from  his  superiors,  and 
it  was  whispered  about  that  he  would  soon  be  listed 
for  a  colonelcy.  But  this  was  a  distinction  he  did 
not  desire,  and  he  frankly  said  so.  "  I  am  done 
with  the  army  —  at  least  for  the  present,"  he  told  his 
friends.  "  All  I  wish  is  my  honorable  discharge 
when  my  time  is  up."  And  this  he  obtained  without 
trouble,  although  everybody,  from  the  general  down, 
was  sorry  to  have  him  leave. 

"  We'll  never  fill  your  place,  Major  Russell,"  said 
Colonel  Darcy.      "And  if  you  ever  think   of    com- 


LAST  BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION  309 

ing  back,  remember  we'll  welcome  you  with  open 
arms." 

Larry  had  still  some  months  to  serve  in  the  navy, 
the  most  of  which  time  he  put  in  on  the  Charleston, 
in  company  with  Si  Doling,  Luke  Striker,  and 
several  of  his  other  friends.  Larry  and  Si  had  al- 
ready become  great  chums,  and  when  Walter  joined 
them,  the  three,  along  with  faithful  old  Luke,  be- 
came all  but  inseparable. 

The  two  final  months  of  Ben's  term  in  the  army 
were  spent  in  and  around  Manila,  and  during  that 
time  several  things  of  more  or  less  importance  hap- 
pened. Jose*  Lupez  was  tried  by  the  local  authorities 
and  sentenced  to  several  years  in  prison  on  various 
charges.  Barnabas  Moval  was  also  tried  for  his  mis- 
deeds, but  while  awaiting  sentence  he  endeavored  to 
escape  from  jail  and  was  mortally  shot  by  a  guard. 
The  friar,  Ponpr£,  was  held  for  many  months.  He 
had  influential  friends,  especially  in  the  Philippine 
church,  and  through  them  obtained  his  release,  under 
promise  to  leave  Luzon  forever. 

The  trial  of  Barnabas  Moval  brought  Inez  Gara- 
bella  to  Manila.  She  was  still  very  grateful  to  Ben 
for  what  the  young  major  had  done  for  her,  and  said 
her  care  of  Walter  during  the  young  sailor's  sickness 


310  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

did  not  repay  her  debt  to  him.  Before  she  went 
away  she  presented  the  young  major  with  an  elegant 
diamond  scarfpin,  which  Ben  wears  to  this  day  and 
of  which  he  is  properly  proud.  She  said  that  as  soon 
as  the  war  was  at  an  end  she  intended  to  open  up  the 
mines  left  by  her  father,  forming  a  stock  company, 
after  American  ideas.  "  And  I  shall  present  all  of 
you  Russells  with  shares,"  she  concluded. 

Although  kept  fairly  busy,  Ben  did  not  forget 
poor  Lieutenant  Gilmore,  and  frequently  visited  the 
officer,  who  was  in  a  hospital  at  Corregidor  Island 
—  a  place  set  apart  especially  for  convalescents. 
Gilmore  was  doing  as  well  as  could  be  expected,  and 
he  went  back  to  the  regiment  on  the  day  that  the 
young  major  left  the  service.  He  is  now  captain  of 
Company  D,  and  with  him  are  several  others  of  our 
old  friends,  who  had  been  wounded  but  who  recovered 
sooner  or  later. 

During  those  days  spent  in  the  capital  of  Luzon, 
Ben  received  letters  from  Gilbert  and  Major  Morris, 
which  pleased  him  greatly.  The  American  troops 
had  joined  what  was  called  the  International  Army, 
or  Allies,  and  after  many  fights  with  the  Boxers  and 
rebellious  Chinese  government  soldiers,  had  forced 
their  way  to  Pekin,  rescued  the  Americans  and  others 


LAST   BATTLE  —  CONCLUSION  311 

who  were  in  peril  there,  and  brought  the  Chinese  to 
treat  for  peace.  "  I  don't  know  how  long  we  are  to 
remain  here,"  wrote  Gilbert.  "  But  as  long  as  we 
do  stay  you  can  rest  assured  we'll  see  to  it  that  Old 
Glory  is  properly  respected."  He  added  that  his 
own  personal  affairs  were  going  along  swimmingly, 
and  that  he  was  tremendously  glad  to  hear  that 
Walter  had  been  rescued. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  a  letter  came  from 
Job  Dowling,  who  had  read  in  the  newspapers  of  the 
rescue  of  Walter  and  the  capture  of  Jose*  Lupez. 
The  old  man  was  overjoyed  to  think  his  nephew  safe 
and  equally  joyful  that  the  most  of  the  bank  money 
had  been  recovered.  "When  I  read  the  news  I 
thought  I  was  dreaming,"  so  his  communication  ran. 
"  I  bought  four  papers  to  get  the  news  straight.  It 
seems  most  too  good  to  be  true.  The  bank  folks  say 
they  can  now  get  together  and  pay  all  depositors  in 
full,  so  you  boys  are  sure  of  close  on  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  besides  the  thousand  Ben  gets  for 
capturing  Braxton  Bogg.  All  the  town  is  talking 
about  your  doings,  and  you'll  get  a  right  royal  send- 
off  when  you  return  —  and  I'm  a-going  to  be  at  the 
head  of  the  procession,  too,  and  give  you  such  a 
welcome   as  you    never   dreamed   on.      You  are    a 


312  UNDER   MacARTHUR   IN  LUZON 

credit  to  your  country,  and  your  uncle  is  proud  of 
you." 

"  Hurrah  for  Uncle  Job ! "  cried  Larry,  when  he 
read  the  letter.  "  He  isn't  the  crabbed  old  stick  he 
used  to  be,  but  just  the  dearest  old  fellow  ever  was ! " 
And  Walter  and  Ben  agreed  with  him.  After  such 
a  letter  their  united  home-going  was  something  to 
look  forward  to  with  fresh  pleasure. 

And  here  let  us  shake  each  of  the  Russell  boys  by 
the  hand  and  bid  them  all  good-by.  It  may  be  that 
the  future  still  holds  additional  adventures  for  them, 
yet  it  is  doubtful  if  any  will  be  more  thrilling  than 
those  which  they  experienced,  both  in  Cuba  and  in 
the  Philippines,  while  fighting  for  the  honor  of 
Old  Glory. 


The  boys'  delight— the  "  Old  Glory  Series."—  The  Christian  Advocate,  N.T. 

THE  OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

BY   EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

FIRST  VOLUME 

UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA 

Or  The  War  Fortunes  of  a  Castaway 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THIS  book,  published  in  September,  1898,  at  once  sprang  to  the  front 
as  the  greatest  success  among  books  for  boys  since  the  famous  Army 
and  Navy  series  by  "Oliver  Optic,"  and  its  popularity  has  steadily  in- 
creased as  the  succeeding  volumes  of  the  series  have  appeared. 

Edward  Stratemeyer  weaves  the  incidents  of  the  naval  conflict  at  Manila  into  a 
narrative  of  experiences  and  adventure  which  is  wholesome  in  spirit  and  full  of 
excitement,  and  which  the  boys  will  like.  —  Congregationalist. 

SECOND  VOLUME 

A  YOUNG  VOLUNTEER  IN  CUBA 

Or  Fighting  for  the  Single  Star 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THE  career  of  Larry  Russell,  as  recorded  in  "Under  Dewey  at 
Manila,"  was  the  hit  of  the  season  among  juveniles.  The  fortunes 
of  Larry  are  equalled,  in  interest  by  the  adventures  of  Ben,  his  older 
brother,  and  his  friend,  Gilbert  Pennington,  and  the  many  exciting  scenes 
through  which  they  passed  during  their  service  in  the  army.  Ben  enlisted 
in  a  New  York  volunteer  regiment,  while  Gilbert  joined  Colonel  Roosevelt's 
famous  Rough  Riders.  Their  life  in  camp,  the  capture  of  El  Caney,  the 
charge  at  San  Juan  hill,  are  all  vividly  described. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  boys  are  clean,  manly  fellows,  and  deserve  the  popularity 
■which  doubtless  aw aits  them. —  Chr istian  Register, 

THIRD  VOLUME 

FIGHTING  IN  CUBAN  WATERS 

Or  Under  Schley  on  the  "Brooklyn  " 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

FT  this  book  Walter  Russell,  brother  to  Larry  and  Ben,  the  respective 
heroes  of  the  two  preceding  volumes  of  the  series,  finds  his  way  to 
Boston,  secures  employment,  enlists  in  the  navy,  and  is  assigned  to  the 
"  Brooklyn."  Then  follow  intensely  interesting  chapters,  telling  of  Com- 
modore Schley,  the  routine  life  of  the  "Jackies,"  and  blockade  and  dis- 
covery of  Cervera's  fleet,  followed  by  the  memorable  conflict  of  July  3. 

"  Fighting  in  Cuban  Waters  "  is  in  the  same  hearty,  manly  spirit  that  has  made 
the  other  volumes  of  the  Old  Glory  Series  so  much  liked.  —  Journal  of  Education. 


OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

FOURTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  OTIS  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Or  A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THE  "  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics  "  is  none  other  than  our  old  friend 
Ben  Russell,  who  upon  reenlisting  for  service  in  the  Philippines  is 
given  the  same  position,  that  of  second  lieutenant,  to  which  he  had  beeD 
promoted  for  gallantry  while  "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba." 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  is  in  a  class  by  himself  when  it  comes  to  writing'  about  AroerJ. 
can  heroes,  their  brilliant  doings  on  land  and  sea.  —  Times,  Boston, 

FIFTH  VOLUME 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Under  Lawton  through  Luzon 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

BEN  and  Larry  figure  in  the  "  Campaign  of  the  Jungle,"  which  has  a 
truthful  and  graphic  historical  setting  in  two  expeditions  of  the  noble 
General  Lawton,  whose  portrait  adorns  the  cover,  the  first  being  that  di- 
rected against  Santa  Cruz  on  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  and  the  second  from 
Manila  to  San  Isidro,  through  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  jungle.  The 
same  sterling  qualities  that  have  made  these  brothers  so  well  liked  carry 
them  through  perilous  scenes  with  true  American  fortitude? 
A  good  war  story,  —  San  Francisco  Bulletin. 

SIXTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Or  Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

12mo    Cloth    llustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Medallion  cover 
320  pages    $1.25 

WE  have  here  a  thoroughly  up-to-date,  clean,  and  entertaining  boys* 
story,  complete  in  itself,  but  forming  the  sixth  and  last  volume  of 
the  ts  Old  Glory  "  Series.  The  boys  in  all  parts  of  the  country  have  been 
anxiously  waiting  to  learn  the  final  fortunes  of  the  three  Russell  brothers, 
Larry,  Walter,  and  Ben,  with  scarcely  less  interest  in  Gilbert  Pennington, 
hero  of  "On  to  Pekin,"  and  not  forgetting  other  old  friends  on  land  and 
sea.  All  are  here,  doing  their  duty  in  the  same  straightforward  way  as 
ever;  and  the  final  battles  in  the  Philippines  are  followed  with  that  accu- 
racy of  statement  which  Mr.  Stratemeyer  always  employs,  thereby  giving 
general  value  to  his  books  without  in  the  least  impairing  the  interest  of  the 
storv. 

Maintains  the  high  standard  in  attractive  narration  which  was  set  by  the  first 
volume.  The  six  books  make  s  complete  %nd  valuable  collection.  —  N»vt  £>""> 
World- 


THE  LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

— —a— — —MUM — II1IHIIIUIMWMMMIIMM I ■* 

VOLUME  ONE 

THE  GUN  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Island  Camp 

321  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

A  BRIGHT,  breezy,  outdoor  story,  telling  how  several  lads  organized 
a  gun  club  and  went  camping  in  the  winter  time.  They  had  with 
them  a  trusty  old  hunter  who  revealed  to  them  many  of  the  secrets  of 
Nature  as  found  in  the  woods.  A  volume  any  boy  who  loves  a  gun 
will  appreciate. 

This   story  of    camping-  and  hunting  will  appeal   to  every  American  boy.— 
Register,  JVew  Haven,  Conn. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  BASEBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Winning  Run 

315  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

WITH  the  coming  of  summer  the  boys  turned  their  attention  to 
baseball  and  organized  a  club,  and  played  many  thrilling  games. 
The  rivalry  was  of  the  keenest,  and  the  particulars  are  given  of  a  plot 
to  injure  the  Lakeport  nine  and  make  them  lose  the  most  important 
game  of  all. 

Will  appeal  to  every  healthy  American  boy. — American,  Baltimore,  Md. 

VOLUME  THREE 

THE  BOAT  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Water  Champions 

300  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

""THIS  time  the  scene  is  shifted  to  the  lake.  The  boys  all  know  how 
*■  to  row  and  sail  a  boat,  and  they  organize  a  club  and  have  fun 
galore.  During  a  squall  on  the  lake  something  of  great  value  is  lost 
overboard.  The  abduction  of  a  little  girl  adds  to  the  interest  of  the 
volume.  Every  lad  who  loves  the  water  will  read  this  volume  with 
pleasure. 

This  author  knows  how  to  please  red-blooded  lads. — Times-Union,  Albany \ 

N.r. 


THE  LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FOUR 

THE  FOOTBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  More  Goals  Than  One 

Illustrated  by  Arthur  O.  Scott    12mo    Cloth    Price,  $1.25 


in 

^^^^ 

"lil?/ 

1 

\fy  «—. 

V^w* 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

TTOOTBALL  is  one  of  the  most 
*  popular  6ports  of  this  country, 
and  in  this  tale  Mr.  Stratemeyer  has 
shown  what  the  jolly  and  dauntless 
boys  of  Lakeport  did  when  the  foot- 
ball season  came  around.  Their 
heroes  of  the  baseball  field  were  not 
long  in  organizing  an  eleven  and 
getting  into  practice,  and  there 
followed  a  series  of  exciting  contests 
for  the  Lake  Pennant.  The  boys  had 
a  college  man  to  coach  them,  and 
made  a  number  of  brilliant  plays,  some  of  which  are 
described  by  the  author  in  detail.  How  the  quarter-back 
of  the  eleven  helped  his  rival  of  the  gridiron  to  get  away 
from  his  enemies  and  reach  the  field  in  time,  and  then 
defeated  him,  is  told  in  a  fashion  that  all  football  players 
will  appreciate.  But  the  story  is  not  all  of  the  football 
field,  and  some  jolly  times  on  the  water  and  on  an  island 
are  depicted  ;  and  the  author  shows  how  a  youth,  intensely 
shrinking,  overcame  his  timidity  and  made  something  of 
himself  by  simply  saying  "I  will"  and  sticking  to  it. 

''The  author  of  the  Lakeport  Series,  Mr.  Edward  Stratemeyer,  is  well 
known  for  his  delightful  boys'  stories." — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"The  Lakeport  Series,  by  Edward  Stratemeyer,  is  the  lineal  descendant 
of  the  better  class  of  boys'  books  of  a  generation  ago." — Christian 
Advocate,  New  York. 

"The  Lakeport  Series  will  be  fully  as  popular  as  the  author's  Dave 
Porter  Series." — San  Francisco  Call. 


Mr.  Stratemeyer's  popularity  will  be  increased  by  "Dave 
Porter."— Times,  Hartford,  Conn. 

DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

VOLUME  ONE 

DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL 

Or  the  Schooldays  of  an  American  %$oy 

312  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

NtEVER  was  there  a  brighter,  more  manly,  thoroughly  up-to-date  boy 
than  Dave  Porter,  and  all  boys  who  read  about  him,  and  girls  too, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  will  be  sure  to  love  him  from  the  start.  How,  as 
a  green  country  boy,  he  went  to  Oak  Hall,  how  he  was  hazed,  and  how 
he  had  to  fight  his  way  through  is  told  with  a  naturalness  that  is  true 
to  life. 
The  story  is  told  with  great  fidelity  to  real  life. — Eagle,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

VOLUME  TWO 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Stormy  Petrel 

286  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

T^VAVE  is  the  same  bright,  wide-awake  youth  he  was  at  school,  and  his 

adventures  on  shipboard  and  among  the  unexplored  islands  of  the 

South  Seas  will  render  him  dearer  to  the  hearts  of  the  boys  than  ever.  Dave 

is  trying  to  solve  the  mystery  of  his  parentage,  and  several  of  his  school 

chums  are  with  him  during  his  wanderings,  some  sharing  his  perils.     A 

great  tidal  wave  sends  the  ship  into  a  strange  harbor  and  there  follows  a 

mutiny  which  places  a  number  on  board  in  great  peril. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  heroes  are  full  of  fun,  and  the  activity  that  goes  with  youth, 
strength  and  high  spirits.  They  are  all  safe — they  work  hard  and  play  fairly. 
~-Star,    Washington,  D.  C. 


Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  seldom  introduced  a  more  popular  hero  than  Dave  Porter. 
He  is  a  typical  boy,  manly,  brave,  always  ready  for  a  good  time  if  it  can  be  obtained 
in  an  honorable  way.—  Wisconsin,  Milwaukee,    Wis. 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEHEYER 

VOLUME  THREE 

DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 
Or  Winning  the  Medal  of  Honor 

304  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

TN  this  volume  the  scene  is  shifted  back  to  Oak  Hall,  and  once  again 
*•  Dave  becomes  the  centre  of  as  interesting  a  group  of  schoolboys  as  it  is 
psssible  to  imagine.  There  is  a  strong  plot,  with  plenty  of  fun,  and  not 
a  few  rivalries  on  the  athletic  field,  and  the  whole  volume  has  a  swing 
and  a  dash  that  are  irresistible. 

A  good  wholesome  story,  full  of  fun  and  go. —  Christian    Work,  N.  Y. 
Each  story  that  comes  from  Edward  Stratemeyer's  pen  is  eagerly  read. — Boston 
Herald. 

VOLUME  FOUR 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Or  The  Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy 

285  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

IN  this  book  Dave  is  still  at  his  well-liked  boarding-school,  Oak  Hall, 
with  his  lively  but  manly  comrades,  who  rejoice  with  him  that  he  not 
only  has  discovered  his  parentage,  but  has  a  father  and  sister  living,  though 
unaware  of  his  existence.  Dave  cannot  rest  until  he  finds  those  of  his 
own  family,  and  having  secured  leave  of  absence  from  school  and  accom- 
panied by  his  chum,  the  son  of  a  United  States  Senator,  he  goes  to 
England  only  to  find  that  his  father  has  left  on  an  expedition  to  the  upper 
part  of  Norway.  The  boys  follow  in  a  most  exciting  pursuit  which  is 
replete  with  adventure. 

The  success  of  the  "Dave  Porter  Series"  is  already  surpassing  Mr.  Stratemeyer's 
previous  triumphs. — American,   Nashville,    Tenn. 

Dave  Porter  is  a  typical  American  schoolboy,  a  scholar,  an  athlete  and  a  good 
fellow. — Herald,  Rochester,  N.   Y. 


DAVE  PORTER  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FIVE 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES 

Or  For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Halt 

Illustrated  by  Charles  Nuttall     12mo     Cloth     Price,  $1.25 

TN  this  volume  Dave  is  back  at  Oak 
Hall  after  his  thrilling  trip  to  find  the 
father  he  has  never  seen.  His  chums 
are  leaders  in  the  activities  of  the 
school,  and  Dave  continues  to  be  the 
best  type  of  an  American  schoolboy. 
"For  the  honor  of  Oak  Hall"  he 
brings  about  the  complete  reformation 
of  a  former  bully,  who  was  rapidly 
going  to  the  bad.  Athletic  events  and 
jolly  fun  are  constantly  mingled,  and  as  evidence  that  the 
boys  are  not  at  school  entirely  for  that,  many  take  high 
honors  at  the  close  of  the  year,  Dave  being  prize  essayist, 
to  the  great  delight  of  his  friends. 

"The  best  type  of  American  schoolboy." — Boston  Globe. 

"One  of  the  best  of  Edward  Stratemeyer's  books  for  boys." — Evening 
News,  Newark,  N.  J. 

"Athletic  events  are  told  with  a  zest  that  shows  the  author's  ability  in 
that  direction." — News,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

"Will   hold  the  attention  of   the  readers  from  beginning  to  end." — 

Citizen,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

"Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  a  sympathetic  understanding  of  boy  nature,  and 
does  not  make  the  mistake  of  making  it  all  a  bed  of  roses  for  his  hero." 
—  Union,  Springfield,  Mass. 


MEXICAN  WAR  SERIES 

By   EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  ONE 
FOR  THE  LIBERTY  OF  TEXAS 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 

MUCH  is  told  here  of  Sam  Houston,  Davy 
Crockett,  Colonel  Bowie,  and  other  Texan 
heroes  in  connection  with  the  entertaining  story 
of  the  fortunes  of  two  brothers,  Dan  and  Ralph 
Radbury.  The  fall  of  the  Alamo  is  introduced, 
and  other  famous  incidents. 

VOLUME  TWO 

WITH  TAYLOR  ON  THE 

RIO  GRANDE 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

AS  with  each  of  the  series,  this  is  a  complete  story,  but  continues  the 
adventures  of  the  patriotic  young  Radbury  brothers.  They  serve 
under  General  Taylor  at  Palo  Alto,  Monterey,  and  Buena  Vista  and  share 
in  the  glory  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready." 

VOLUME  THREE 
UNDER  SCOTT  IN  MEXICO 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

IN  the  concluding  volume   of  this  valuable  historical  series   Dan  and 
Ralph  come  under  the  command  of  Gen.   Winfield  Scott  and  finally 
bear  their  part  in  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  proud  city  of  Mexico. 


These  books  were  first  issued  under  a  pen  name  and  by  another 
publisher.  We  have  now  placed  them  in  the  regular  list  of  this  unequaled 
writer  for  boys,  with  an  entirely  new  cover  design  in  keeping  with  the 
uniformly  rich  appearance  of  our  Stratemeyer  books. 


"  There  are  few  live  boys  in  the  country  who  have  not  read  the  intensely 
interesting;  books  ol  Mr.  Stratemeyer,  and  who  do  not  have  a  warm  place  in  their 
hearts  tor  him.  No  living;  American  writer  of  boys'  books  is  so  widely  read,  and 
none  so  sure  of  a  cordial  welcome  for  everything  that  comes  from  his  pen." — 
Chicago  News, 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

VOLUME  ONE 

LOST  ON  THE  ORINOCO 

Or  American  Boys  in  Venezuela 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  tells  of  five  American  youths,  who,  with  their  tutor,  sail 
from  New  York  to  La  Guayra,  touching  at  Curacao  on  the  way. 
They  visit  Caracas,  go  westward  to  the  Gulf  of  Maracaibo  and  lake  of 
the  same  name,  and  at  last  find  themselves  in  the  region  of  the  mighty 
Orinoco,  and  of  course  they  have  some  exciting  experiences,  one  of  which 
gives  name  to  the  book. 

Its  rjictures  of  South  American  life  and  scenery  are  novel  and  instructive.— 
The  Literary  World,  Boston. 

The  scenes  described  are  of  the  sort  to  charm  the  hearts  of  adventurous  boys.— 
The  Outlook,  N.  T. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  YOUNG  VOLCANO  EXPLORERS 

Or  American  Boys  in  the  West  Indies 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

"PHE  boys,  with  their  tutor,  sail  from  Venezuela  to  the  West  Indies, 
*•  stopping  at  Jamaica,  Cuba,  Hayti,  and  Porto  Rico.  They  have 
numerous  adventures  on  the  way,  and  then  set  out  for  St.  Pierre,  Mar- 
tinique, where  they  encounter  the  effects  of  the  eruption  of  Mt.  Pelee, 
and  two  of  the  boys  are  left  on  a  raft  to  shift  for  themselves.  Life  in  the 
West  Indies  is  well  portrayed. 

VOLUME  THREE 

YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  ISTHMUS 
Or  American  Boys  in  Central  America 

306  pages     Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

"DELATES  adventures  in  a  tour  covering  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica, 
*■  *■  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The  party  travel  the  various  canal 
routes,  and  have  a  number  of  highly  interesting  experiences.  The  vol- 
ume contains  a  vast  amount  of  timely  information,  and  will  be  read  with 
interest  by  young  men  as  well  as  boys. 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 


VOLUME  FOUR 

YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  AMAZON 
Or  American  Boys  in  Brazil 

300  pages     I2mo     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

AN  absorbing  tale  of  sight-seeing  and  adventures  in 
Brazil.  The  five  boys  and  their  tutor  travel  the 
whole  seacoast  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Para,  and  then 
move  up  the  Amazon  into  the  rubber  country  and  beyond. 
The  volume  is  filled  with  pen-pictures  of  life  as  it  exists 
in  Brazil  to-day,  and  will  be  heartily  enjoyed  by  all  young 
people. 

The  Pan- American  Series  by  Edward  Stratemeyer  has  been  declared  by 
the  boys  of  this  country  to  be  the  most  up-to-date  of  all  reading  for  the 
young.    Filled  with  action  and  good  fellowship. —  Waver  ley  Magazine. 

VOLUME  FIVE 

TREASURE  SEEKERS  OF  THE  ANDES 

Or  American  Boys  in  Peru 

310    pages     Illustrated  by  Charles  Nuttall      Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  takes  the  young  explorers  from  the  head 
of  the  Amazon  River  to  the  coast  of  Peru  and  then 
into  the  mighty  snow-topped  mountains.  One  of  the  boys 
obtains  possession  of  a  secret  regarding  a  Spanish  treasure 
and,  with  a  companion,  goes  in  quest  of  the  same,  and  both 
get  lost  in  a  series  of  caves.  The  volume  is  up-to-date  and 
will  please  both  young  and  old. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  acquired  the  art  of  weaving  a  good  deal  of  solid 
information  with  his  web  of  startling  adventure. — .Saw  Francisco  Bulletin. 


COLONIAL  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

FIRST  VOLUME 

WITH  WASHINGTON  IN  THE  WEST 

Or  a  Soldier  Boy's  Battles  in  the  Wilderness 

Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    302  pages     $1.25 

MR.  STRATEMEYER  has  woven  into  an  excellent  story  something 
of  Washington's  youthful  experience  as  a  surveyor,  leading  on 
to  the  always  thrilling  Braddock's  defeat.  The  hero,  David  Morris, 
is  several  years  younger  than  Washington,  with  whom  he  becomes 
intimately  associated.  Pictures  of  pioneer  life  are  given ;  scenes  with 
friendly  Indians ;   and  old-time  games. 

SECOND  VOLUME 

MARCHING  ON  NIAGARA 

Or  The  Soldier  <Boys  of  the  Old  Frontier 

Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THE  story  relates  the  doings  of  two  young  soldiers  who  join  the 
Colonial  forces  in  a  march  on  Fort  Niagara,  during  the  time  of 
the  war  with  France,  when  the  whole  territory  between  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  the  Great  Lakes  was  in  a  state  of  unrest.  Many  side  lights 
are  thrown  into  the  colonial  homes,  and  much  useful  information  is 
given  of  the  pioneers  who  helped  to  make  our  country  what  it  is  to-day. 

David  Morris  is  a  fine  fellow,  and  about  him  is  woven  a  fine  "Injun"  story  that 
is  sure  to  delight  the  boys. —  Universalist  Leader,  Boston, 

THIRD  VOLUME 

cAT  THE  FALL  OF  MONTREAL 

Or  a  Soldier  ^oy's  Final  Victory 

Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  relates  the  adventures  of  Dave  Morris  and  his  cousin 
Henry  during  the  two  last  campaigns  against  the  French  for  the 
possession  of  Canada  and  the  territory  below  the  great  lakes.  The  scal- 
ing of  the  heights  of  Quebec  under  General  Wolfe,  and  the  memorable 
battle  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  are  given  in  detail.  There  are  many 
stirring  scenes  of  battle,  and  there  are  also  adventures  while  fishing  and 
hunting,  and  with  the  Indians. 

The  chief  charm  of  Mr.  Stratemeyer's  stories  lies  in  the  fact  that  an  enormous 
quantity  of  valuable  information,  collected  from  the  most  reliable  sources,  is 
deftly  woven  into  the  narrative  without  taking  away  from  the  interest.—. 
Philadelphia  Inquirer. 


COLONIAL  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEflEYER 

FOURTH  VOLUME 

ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  PONTIAC 

Or  Pioneer  Boys  of  the  Ohio 

Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

'"THIS  volume  tells  of  times  in  our  country  immediately  after  the  war 
■*  with  France  for  the  possession  of  Canada.  A  fight  with  the  Indians 
and  the  French  in  a  snowstorm  is  especially  realistic,  and  the  entire  book 
carries  with  it  the  atmosphere  of  colonial  times. 

Boys  are  attracted  to  stories  by  Edward  Stratemeyer,  and  they  will  enjoy  "On 
the  Trail  of  Pontiac." — Plain  Dialer,    Cleveland,   O, 

VOLUME  FIVE 

THE  FORT  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

Or  The  Soldier  Boys  of  the  Indian  Traits 

306  pages    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

""THIS  story  is  one  of  the  best  tales  of  Colonial  days  penned  by  this 
*•  favorite  author  for  young  people.  A  central  figure  is  the  noted 
Indian  warrior,  Pontiac,  and  the  particulars  are  given  of  the  rise  and  fall 
of  that  awful  conspiracy  against  the  whites,  which  will  never  be  forgotten, 
and  vivid  pen  pictures  are  given  of  fights  in  and  around  the  forts  and  at  a 
trading-post  on  the  Ohio. 

VOLUME  SIX 

TRAIL  AND  TRADING  POST 

Or  The  Young  Hunters  of  the  Ohio 

320  pages    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

A  FINE  closing  volume  to  this  deservingly  popular  series.  Here  we 
again  meet  the  Morris  boys,  and  many  other  friends.  The  plot 
centres  about  the  possession  of  a  certain  trading-post  on  the  Ohio  River  at 
a  time  just  previous  to  the  Revolution,  and  there  are  some  encounters 
with  the  unfriendly  Indians  and  with  some  Frenchmen  who  wished  to 
claim  the  post  as  their  own. 

There  are  few  authors  whose  books  have  so  wide  and  so  thoroughly  satisfactory 
a  reading  as  those  by  Mr.  Stratemeyer. —  Courier,  Boston. 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 

Jean  Versfelt  Preston 

my  1 9  2006 

SCHOOL  OF  INFORMATION 
AND  LIBRARY  SCIENCE 

THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


